CCA Says Future is Bright!!!

[Willowcreek]

Quote:
[Wildeman says consumers will pay for a better product but will not pay for something they don't feel is safe.]
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Interesting--Vedddy Interesting...I don't know what you are all whining about-- your CCA says everythings gonna be just great.....

Funny how this CCA high potentate mentions consumers not wanting anything they don't feel is safe- and how they will be willing to pay for a better product--but says not a word about BSE testing for marketing...

I wonder how he figures he is going to get these Chinese, Indian, Asian markets and people in that market feeling safe with the product- with the positive mad cow of the month continuing to pop up for the next 10-15 years.....
----------------------------------------
Quote:
[Cattlemen's V.P. bullish on future



Written by Mark Beaton

Bayshore Broadcasting - Canada

January 8th, 2008



There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel for the Cattle Industry.



Vice President of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association Brad Wildeman says the industy is going through some tough times but believes there is a bright future for the industry.



Wildeman spoke at Beef Day yesterday at the Grey Bruce Farmers Week in Elmwood.



Wildeman says he knows there are markets in China and India are unable to grow enough beef on their own and believes Canada will be able to sell into those markets in the long term.



Wildeman says with the many of the markets that use their beef, they are looking for better safety regulations.



Wildeman says a big issue facing the Cattle Industry is ecoli.



Wildeman says there is a way to cure ecoli with radiation, which he says is safe but the Industry isn't using it.



Wildeman says consumers will pay for a better product but will not pay for something they don't feel is safe.



Wildeman says many of the markets want to be informed when there is an ecoli break out and the break out has been dealt with.



Wildeman says there was always be a few people who will be hesitant about eating beef beacuse of the ecoli problem.]



radioowensound.com

[per]

Dennis Laycraft was saying in the Barley Country magazine that no one sector in Alberta agriculture can thrive long term at the expense of another. Not what the line was when the barley guys were sucking for air. He also said "we believe we can compete in export markets, but we need improved access, a more competitive regulatory environment, and a competitive fiscal policy that meets the needs of export oriented industries that are struggling under our inflated dollar.

At least on some level he recognises why we are, amongst other things, asking for testing and sees our regulatory roadblocks.

One other thing to think about. Our dollar hasn't risen so much as has the US dollar deflated. There isn't the same discrepancy against other currencies worldwide.

[Willowcreek]

per quote:[One other thing to think about. Our dollar hasn't risen so much as has the US dollar deflated. There isn't the same discrepancy against other currencies worldwide. ]

I've been noticing that-- and since its over 40 years since I sat in my college econ classes, I'm not going to speculate on why that is...US dollar is plunging--but apparently taking Canada's down with it.....

An interesting (and pessimistic) note is that historically when the US went into the Great Depression back in the 30's--Canada went into depression also with Canada actually suffering worse with the depression- and took longer to come back out of it....And I think GW Bush has lead us into another Great Depression...
I don't know where this cattle optimism CCA sees is coming from-- when everything is looking like $15 wheat- $7-8 corn- and $5 fuel...

[jensend]

ot: ...US dollar is plunging--but apparently taking Canada's down with it.....

better check some more charts there, cowboy. we're relatively stable - up a little - against the euro and stronger against the yen and pound. oil's supporting our dollar and weakening yours. our stock market weakens with yours because of the worries about american recession (which i think you're already in) but you still need our oil (and our beef lol.)

[kato]

Don't forget this is the season the speculators get fired up to make sure there are lots of acres of particular crops sown. This happened last year too. The ethanol speculators got everyone fired up over corn so they'd plant a record crop and they did.

The best cure for high prices is high prices. Same goes for low prices.

[grassfarmer]

Willowcreek, it's part of different debate but when you say "I don't know where this cattle optimism CCA sees is coming from-- when everything is looking like $15 wheat- $7-8 corn- and $5 fuel..." you are missing an important upside to the beef sector. If you are prepared to do things a little differently you really need very little wheat, corn or fuel to produce beef. This cannot be said of the poultry and pork sectors...

[Willowcreek]

Jensend-- How come the currency exchange rates now show $1.00 US is equal to $1.01 Canadian-- and all the stores down here are accepting it at par now? ...Month ago the Canadian dollar was like $1.07-$1.09 or more...
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Now heres a Canadian industry rep that gets an ATTA-BOY....A Canadian that can actually see what is happening, isn't afraid to speak the truth like most of the so called Canadian cattlemans groups leaders are, and doesn't blame it all on Americans or R-CALF-- and while expressing optimism also actually has some ideas on how to make the industry profitable for producers and has the incentive to get off his duff and do something about it....

ATTA BOY- CAM......




Alberta cattle groups propose major change



By Sheri Monk

Published in the Maple Creek Advance Times - Canada

Jan. 8, 2008



Four of Alberta's most influential cattle organizations formed an

alliance to create a proposal that would change the landscape of the

cattle business in Canada.



The provincial government held a joint meeting with Alberta Cattle

Feeders Association, The Beef Initiative Group (BIG), Western Stock

Growers Association, Provincial Feeders Association of Alberta and the

Alberta Beef Producers. The five groups were told that they would

jointly have the ear of the government going forward to address

ongoing issues in the cattle industry. Each was asked to submit

proposals to identify and address the economic and policy stumbling

blocks of producers, feeders and finishers.



Spearheaded by the Beef Initiative Group (BIG), an agreement was

signed on Nov. 30, 2007 by all groups with the exception of the

Alberta Beef Producers, endorsing several new strategies to combat

industry difficulties.



The groups want a new and aggressive board to deal with trade policy

that any other cattle organizations will defer to on trade issues. The

new trade board's mandate is to grow non-NAFTA markets with the end

goal of a diversified marketplace in which to sell cattle and beef.



Also proposed was the reconstitution of Canada Beef Export Federation

(CBEF) and of Beef Information Centre (BIC) with a new mandate. The

agreement states that, "CBEF has been hamstrung by both industry

leadership and packer domination for too long. Current Canadian major

packers obviously favour the north-south trade."



The agreement proposes a producer-owned brokerage corporation that

would allow producers and feeders to retain ownership of the live

product through to the point of sale as beef.



The brokerage priorities would be re-establishing trade with non-NAFTA

countries and to uniquely brand Canadian beef to explore all foreign

markets. The groups want in on the value-added chain and support

partnerships with the feedlot sector. The agreement says inclusion in

the value-added market is essential, "We must be allowed to cease

selling cattle on the hoof at a discount and become marketers of

beef."



Cam Ostercamp is president of BIG and penned the initial agreement

that was later adjusted with help from the other three signing

parties. Ostercamp is a rancher from Blackie, Alta., and after BSE hit

Canada in 2003, became very vocal of flaws in the Canadian cattle

industry.



"In late 2003, I began asking all the cattle groups what their plan

was and quickly realized nobody had one. They were all wringing their

hats at the border and hoping Uncle Sam would come and save them,"

said Ostercamp.



In early 2004, he wrote an article about the Canadian cattle situation

called 'Behind the veil of silence' which was published in the

National Post, and BIG was formed shortly after. Ruffling the feathers

of industry groups, Ostercamp calls the cards as he sees them, "We

have been an industry in complete denial. We are being strangled by

these multi-national packers that have ****d this industry for several

years now. I maintain that BSE was not really our problem, it was

simply the catalyst that made us deal with our problem which until now

we have never really dealt with. The industry has been so goddamned

scared to say or do anything to jeopardize that crystal meth market

we're addicted to in the south that they've allowed this situation to

happen," said Ostercamp.



Of the current trend in the cattle business, the BIG president says

that shrinking the mother herd is inevitable, but access to the

value-added market will minimize the shrinkage. "We're shrinking now,

we're losing producers and we're going to keep losing them but we must

try to save what we can," added Ostercamp.



BIG believes that if voluntary BSE testing were available many markets

would open to Canadian beef. "It is glaringly and undeniably obvious

that Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in the last four years has

not done anything but parrot the dictates of the United States

Department of Agriculture (USDA). Half of our main platform is the

producer's inherent right to BSE tests to gain market access. The CFIA

is overlooking a huge opportunity," lamented Ostercamp. "Of all the

countries that have dealt with BSE, Canada and the U.S. are the only

ones that didn't begin BSE testing every cow."



Ostercamp is optimistic and feels that if his provincial government

will support the agreement, Alberta will flex its cattle muscles and

lead the way to seriously change the cattle business for the benefit

of all producers in Canada.



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