New COOL deception?

[ASRG]

We thought we won COOL. Now it seems the USDA has upped the ante and actually is proposing even more draconian measures!
The old rules, that were successfully challenged at the WTO, said co-mingled beef and pork must be labelled as "product of Canada and the USA".
The new proposed rules would be meat could no longer be co-mingled, but must be kept seperate and labelled "raised and fed in Canada, slaughtered in the USA"!
This of course will be a real problem for USA packers killing Canadian beef...or American feedlots feeding Canadian feeders (labelled "born in Canada, fed and slaughtered in the USA").
The added costs of seperating carcasses and labelling will put a real discount on Canadian cattle entering the US system.

[Horse]

I realy dont know if this is such a big thing. I worked in a seed cleaning plant yrs ago and we shiped grass seed all over the world, if it was say going to holand we had stensels that was in dutch so thats what we put on the bag along with we weighed it in kilos before PET blessed us with metric I dont think that added much cost as we had to put something on there anyway.

[kato]

Where did you hear this? It sounds like a proposal that was going around a few years ago.

[grassfarmer]

From Ritz:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-
release/statement-by-minister-ritz-on-the-us-
country-of-origin-labelling-cool-1766161.htm

From CCA:

http://www.cattle.ca/media/file/original/1263_CCA_
Statement_08_03_2013_USDA_proposal_for_COOL_wi
ll_not_result_in_compliance_with_WTO_obligations.p d
f

[kato]

I found some write ups on it.

Typical...............

[Happytrails]

Looks like a very poor response from the Obama administration via the USDA. Pretty much fits my definition of bullying. We appease a bully at our own peril. I'm going to send the CCA a cheque for $100 for work on this. How about some others??

[rkaiser]

A cheque to CCA......??? lol good one happy trails to that hundred bucks

[grassfarmer]

Fools and their money and all that....

[wilagro]

No worries...Gerry Ritz is standing by you...just like he stood by the hog farmers as American and FINNISH pork came into our market.

What a BUFFOON.

[Happytrails]

rk and gf i really hope your departure is slowed by trying to take it with you!! If we won't stand up for ourselves get ready for the steamroller.

[grassfarmer]

It's not about holding onto my money for the sake of
saving it - I just don't want to give it to an
organisation that will use it against my best interests
as they have so consistently done in recent years.
End of the day ABP/CCA can talk all they like about
negotiating with the US but truth is Canada has no
bargaining chips in this game. We have allowed the
Canadian beef sector to be totally focussed on
slipping product in the US back door ashamed to
promote it as Canadian. When Uncle Sam no longer
needs it for whatever reason - oops, sorry Canada
you are SOL.

[rkaiser]

In addition to GF notes happy trails. Our effforts to open markets in China and other parts of the world without a cent of ABP / CCA money will reward you if you stay in the industry long enough and choose to go another route than sucking the American tit.

[ASRG]

In the article I read the CCA wasn't doing anything....nor was the ABP? It was the pork council doing the talking.
Happytrails: Don't send the $100....Gerry Ritz has all kinds of money to piss away! Just yesterday, at the Canadian Taxpayers "Teddy Awards", Gerry and Canada Agriculture won an award for doling out $896,000 to a Vancouver firm to research how to make a sausage that won't explode! Your tax dollars hard at work!

[wilagro]

More details of Gerry Ritzes INITIATIVES.

Quote: Harper Government Invests in Meat Processing Innovation

Brampton, Ontario, August 14, 2012 –An Ontario meat processing company is developing new innovative products with the help of investments from the Harper Government. Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Lemieux (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell), on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced today an investment for Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd. towards the purchase of new equipment for the manufacturing of sausage at its facility in Brampton, Ontario.

"Our government is focused on jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity, and promoting competitiveness is integral to a healthy economy," said Mr. Lemieux. "This investment will support Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd. in expanding their operations by developing a new product to meet growing market demands and increase their competitiveness."

Cardinal Meat Specialists produces high quality meat products for distribution to retail markets. This investment of more than $826,000 will help the company purchase new manufacturing equipment that will produce a higher quality sausage that is more resistant to splitting or bursting while cooking. The company, to its knowledge, will be the first to apply the technology in Canada.

These business improvements will allow the company to introduce a new product to the market, increase production and sales, and support the creation of new jobs. Enhanced production also means an increase in the company's procurement of Canadian beef, pork, and wheat, profiting domestic farmers.

"The AgriProcessing Initiative fits perfectly with Cardinal's philosophy of striving to lead our industry in the generation of useful innovation, and will help Cardinal develop niche products, stimulate competitiveness in, and expand, the Canadian agri-processing marketplace," said Brent Cator, President. "This program supports strong leaders such as Cardinal and further develops Canada's role in sustainable, long-term growth strategies in market segments."

This investment is being delivered by the AgriProcessing Initiative, a five-year, up to $50-million initiative designed to enhance the competitiveness of the agri-processing sector in Canada. It provides support to existing companies for projects that involve the adoption of innovative and new-to-company manufacturing technologies and processes that are essential to sustaining and improving the sector's position in today's global marketplace. For more information on this program, visit www.agr.gc.ca/api.

[wilagro]

And for another look at the aforementioned Cardinal Meat Specialists, go to this URL: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/consumer-centre/food-safety-investigations/cardinal-meat-specialists/q-a/eng/1355630340312/1355630467952?chap=0

Interesting coincidence.