Are Prices High Enough to Keep Cows?

[katoe]

The cwb has both an internal and external audit each year.

[FarmRanger]

And I have pigs flying past my window.

[ASRG]

Sadie
Traditionally raised cows have a hard time competing with grain on fairly decent land,at least today? That may change in the future, but the last few years have favored grain and canola.
I think a lot of people got turned off cattle after the BSE gong show....not just because of low prices......but how the government hung them out to dry? Blamed the farmer for their own governments ineptitude and forced them into all this RFID tags/age verification/ID premises stuff? Refused to pay for their failure to protect the health of the cattle herd and their bungling of the trade issues? Forced the cattlemen to sue them for damages and refused to settle out of court?
I certainly don't blame younger people for not wanting to raise cattle. The money isn't there and the government has a proven track record of not supporting the industry? As soon as any problem arises you can bet the government boys will be running away as fast as possible!

[kato]

Rant of the day. It's been a while. ;-)

I totally agree about their track record. Not just our government, but our society has forgotten the basic rule of survival... If you don't support the people who produce your food, and they can't make a living at it, then there will be no food.

Before anyone jumps on this as a request for "welfare", let me make it clear that support doesn't necessarily mean money. It can mean other things that are just as important, such as not putting barriers in the way of producers making a living, being there to defend your food supply from things like BSE, and even something as simple as LISTENING to us.

Lots of times when I read the news, I get the impression that we are so low on the list of things the government considers valuable that we are no more than an inconvenience. We don't count. Our opinions don't matter. We don't have the numbers to vote anyone out, so we are of no consequence....

Unless of course a large multinational corporation tells them that it's time to make sure their affordable supply of raw materials is secure. Then, and only then, action will be taken to make sure we don't all leave for town.