ABP Producer meeting

[grassfarmer]

Well another year and another ABP fall producer meeting has come and gone in my zone. Perhaps this one was even more frustrating than last years. ABP reps jumped to their feet to vigorosly defend the status quo in regard to resolutions requiring change at ABP. Their empire or policies cannot be challenged by mere producers.
The most galling thing was the hand out sheets being distributed to producers headed "why are weaned calf prices not higher this fall?" - after detailing feedlot costs and breakevens the conclusion was we cow/calf guys are damn lucky we are getting as much as $.80 for our 5 weight heifers - it's more than we deserve for them.
This, in my opinion, is , all based on the wrong headed thinking of ABP that has continued to identify and support the US as the only viable market for our beef, their attempts to thwart exports to countries that might accept BSE tested beef, their refusal to back plans to increase competition in the slaughter industry (as opposed to increasing slaughter capacity) through more and different processing plants and their absolute refusal to recognise the true causes of this farm income crises - namely the role of corporate monopoly, lack of competition,captive supply at the processing and retailing sector.

If the ABP had truly been interested in representing their primary producer members they could have drawn up a similar one page sheet showing the breakeven required by cow/calf producers to remain in business and then try to see how they could develop policies that could result in this higher price being achieved for their producers.There is enough value in the production chain to allow this - the consumer is already paying us enough if it were fairly shared.

To round off the evening we were thrown some carrots though... an ABP policy analyist giving a free promotional speech for the AB government and their generosity to producers through their latest hand out "recovery program". Another silly little program linked to CAIS and CITI which will likely pay out $1000 here and there if we fill in a bunch of forms. I left European farming to get away from this type of farm income supplementation - taxpayer funded subsidies than never get you ahead because the packers will drop their bids by the exact value of these programs on the day they are implemented. Unfortunately ABP are blind to this and despite their supposed "free market philosophy" are happy to be Government subsidy pimps rather than having the vision and leadership to try and lobby for things that would result in a better and fairer return for beef producers in this province. PATHETIC!!

[rkaiser]

After bringing forward a number of resolutions over the past four years and having them passed at the zone level and disappear when squashed at the AGM, I had decided not to go the resolution route this year.

Instead my campaign to run with one main purpose; that being the acceptance of BSE testing for marketing purposes. Don't know now that the others involved in ABP will even see that my support from voters comes from my stand on testing.

So. I have decided to bring forward a resolution at the next meeting and cause the argument that occurred in the corner after last nights meeting to be out in front of everyone.

To those of you who are on this site and have the ability to pass this information along. Tell those who need to know to prepare their debate in opposition of my resolution.

Cheers
Randy

[farmers_son]

Interesting comments. Re the CITI payout. As I understand it there is money coming to producers as a result of ABP successfully lobbying the Province and the Federal government to include the loss in value of bred heifers between Jan 2003 and Dec. 2005 in the CITI calculations. For me this will mean I am expecting about $5000. While that may be pathetic it is welcome money to me.

I do share the view that these subsidies are not the answer and that they maintain the status quo. But I am in no position to turn my nose up at $5000.

I am very interested in seeing breakeven numbers required to stay in business. Obviously those numbers would be different for different producers. Even at todays calf prices some people will be making money and while many will not. While the grass appears greener on the other side of the fence, I would expect people like grassfarmer and rkaiser who retail beef, especially grassfed beef, would find the profitability of their operations little changed by the price of grain and the changing dollar. Of course the price of so much of what we buy has gone up, fuel, utilities, repairs and so on and those prices should actually drop due to the high dollar but when is anyones guess.

On occasion people have put some numbers and breakevens up here on Agriville. That would be great if that happened.

[rkaiser]

(farmer_son says -"I would expect people like grassfarmer and rkaiser who retail beef, especially grassfed beef, would find the profitability of their operations little changed by the price of grain and the changing dollar")

I would expect that Canadian ranchers, led by our new ABP/CCA, who controlled their own destiny and took back control of their industry could do the same Rob. Time for us to make the laws in our own country and tell the packers what we want them to do rather than them tell us.

[farmers_son]

Although you make sure everyone knows your name, and that is your business, it is important for me to keep my privacy for professional reasons and so I can express opinions that are my own without concern that I may be contradicting the positions of organizations that I am associated with, and there are quite a few. You can call me Rumplestilskin if you want but I intend to keep my privacy. Keep guessing...

If my name were to become known I would quit participating here or change my username I guess. I would rather do neither. One of the strengths of Agriville is that anyone can participate and their thoughts are taken at face value, it does not matter if they are a big producer or a small producer, head of a beef organization or just head of a household. I hope it stays that way and I would ask rkaiser to respect that.

[Cattleman]

Farmerson, it is interesting that you said it was ABP's lobbying to have the bred heifers revalued using P1/P2 pricing. It has actually always been that way, unfortunately, producers did not know this, so if they lumped in bred heifers and bred cows together they did not gain from the CITI program.
But at least ABP did go back after the appeal deadline to get things straightened out.

[rkaiser]

sorry fred. I would hide out too if I talked of Cargill and Tyson in disdain from one side of my mouth and supported their captive supply with the other.

[Burbert]

I watch the ABP, whinning and crying the blues on TV news, the other night. Pitiful, for an industry that prides itself on being tough, rough, stick to it, independent minded, strong willed. New generation knows, where the real money is, handouts, adhoc or not cash is a good thing. ABP love the PC's, who'll pony up, give the gag producers a penny and they'll vote PC, they can be bought cheap, gov't won't overlook those rural votes. Check out the beef price in our local markets. Forget it, eat chicken or pork..........

[rkaiser]

And on we go.

Calmar was interesting as the boys were somewhat prepared and had enough flunkies in place (including a ABP bias chairman who couldn't count) to have a resolution concerning testing beaten. Wow - I guess I should quit hey. Yeah right. Hope anyone in the Camrose area can make it over on Thursday evening for the next Zone 6 meeting. Could prove to be the best yet.

Thanks need to go out to the final speaker in Calmar who basically said nothing and promoted his own export business by telling everyone to age verify calves --- and guess what we can even age verify cows that are older so that he and his company can steal them from you and cross the line with them for a tidy profit. What a joke.

[grassfarmer]

Yes, the great con show rolls on.... and they continue to get away with it. Present evidence that points to a flawed conclusion that we should all be grateful for the record low prices we are receiving for calves. Then tell the producers what a wonderful job ABP/CCA has done over the last year and then wrap the show up by promising a little subsidy handout to send the producers home feeling better. By god their formula is working too - the tiny percentage of producers that attend seem to by and large believe the sound bites. The vast majority that don't attend, at least the ones I speak to, tell me they either gave up on ABP 5/10/20 years ago or incredibly don't know who or what ABP are other than the people that spend their checkoff.
Wow, how did democratic representation come to this in Alberta?? Are the majority of producers just naturally so apathetic or lazy or disinterested?

[rkaiser]

Exactly why there needs to be a vote among all producers and not just those who show up at these meetings as to the direction of the checkoff grassfarmer. Apathetic - given up or simply to upset to even show up at a meeting --- what ever the case. Not a show of hands but a discrete and private vote from the producers of this province concerning the direction of their money.

[grassfarmer]

As I've said before I think that would be a great move - bring "marketing choice" to the arena of producer representation. Let the guy paying the checkoff decide who makes the best job of representing his interests. It's free market, democratic, individualistic - everything that ABP and the Alberta Government stands for right? Somehow I think that the directors of ABP might disagree, just as they will with any perceived threat to their little empire.