Martin's Visit

[farmers_son]

CALGARY — Cattle producers say Prime Minister Paul Martin has pledged more help for the battered industry while the United States border remains closed to Canadian animals.

Beef industry officials were called to Calgary on Monday to meet with Martin, Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan and Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell for what was described a "listening session'' to explain the scope of the ongoing crisis.

"The prime minister made the comment that increasing (slaughter) capacity and marketing may not be sufficient, that there may have to be other social programs to go along with this,'' said Stan Eby of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.

"Certainly he was aware of the need for cash in the countryside.

While Martin promised help, he didn't get into particulars.

"There is no commitment on dollars, we will be working with Agriculture Canada officials later this week on more details," said Stan Eby of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.

They'll also be searching for new export markets and ways to fast-track plans for new slaughter plants to reduce Canada's dependency on U.S. slaughter houses.

"Obviously, we want to access the U.S. market as soon as possible, but we also want to reposition the industry so it can be profitable without that," said Andy Mitchell, Canada's agriculture minister.

Mitchell has suggested mandating a price for cattle or investment tax credits to help encourage more construction of slaughter facilities.

"We must remember the 100,000 Canadian producers that are carrying the mortgage for this industry," said Cam Ostercamp, an Alberta cattle producer. "These feel-good ... sessions that government likes to do on their swing through are cold comfort."

[CattleAnnie]

"Thesefeel-good ... sessions that government likes to do on their swing through are cold comfort."

Amen, Cam.

Talk is cheap. I don't know about you folks, but I've about had it about to the ears with the whole mess. Have had so many platitudes spoon fed from MP, MLA, Minister of Ag, Premier's office, CCA that just don't know what to do that would get some action going for our cattle industry. Who can you talk to that actually gives a rat's ass about what happens to the people in this industry?? I mean, someone that has the power to actually help...

What will it take

Frustrating as h e double l to live so far from any centre. Almost as frustrating as trying to hold the place together anymore.

If I lived closer to Parliament or Legislative buildings, I'd call the boys to load the liners with my culls and offload them on that nice green grass.

Let them sue me...can't get blood from a stone anyway.

Sorry. Blizzard rolling into N.E. BC tonight and just getting so weary of the situation. Expect the last thirty head will try and calve in this mess.

End of rant. Take care of yourselves.

[CattleAnnie]

CattleAnnie, your 'rant' describes the frustration of 99% of cattlemen and women to a 'T'.
Calving time is stressful enough without the continual worry about keeping the wolf from the door !!

[farmers_son]

I think as producers we need to be skeptical about plans to make the industry profitable. If we were to look at the entire industry, it is profitable right now, and that profitability can be increased by finding markets for SRMs and even finding new export markets. Unfortunately none of that profitability makes its way to the primary producer. Increasing packer profitability is not going to help my situation. The beef industry is characterized by margin operators who take their profit, sometimes more than a fair profit while the cow calf operator is left hanging onto the end of the rope all the while financing the “industry” who profit at their expense.

Canada needs more slaughter capacity, everyone agrees with that. But do we need Cargill and Tyson to increase slaughter capacity so they can continue to control the industry? Will that help even a little bit? What no one is saying is we need competition in the “industry” so that the marketplace begins to function normally and fair prices are paid for live fat cattle and feeders. Until I hear government and “industry” focus on the problem of competition as well as lack of packer capacity I am not getting too excited by any of these announcements. Giving Cargill and Tyson investment tax credits is not going to help one darn bit. We need solutions targetted at the problem of no competition in the industry and our dependence upon the U.S. not only to provide packing capacity but competition as well.

[grassfarmer]

well said farmers_son!

[kato]

Expand markets? Allow testing. Simple.

Japan is there right in front of us, and whether it's scientifically correct or not is irrelevant. It's an access to a market. It's giving the customer what they want. Why should it be different for beef than it is for other products?

Is it scientifically correct to only manufacture green shoes, if that's the only kind people will buy? No. It's smart marketing.

Is it scientifically correct to only sell organic food? Some people say no. Some say yes. But no one stops an organic farmer from marketing his product. Why is tested beef any different than organic?

No one can prove the 'science' behind the concept on either, but the consumer will only buy what the consumer wants. Just as not every North American consumer jumps on the organic bandwagon because some people believe in it, they also will not jump on the "I only eat tested beef" bandwagon just because Japanese consumers want it. They understand the situation in Japan is not the same as here, and are a lot more intelligent than they are given credit for.

How much kicking around do we want to submit to before we really get serious about change? If the big American packers don't want to keep up, then too bad so sad. Leave them behind.

[kato]

i agree with kato and farmers-son lots of talk no real action!!!!!!!!!!
no 1 -testing all cattle starting
tomorrow i know not needed but if consumer wants do it better than losing250 -300dollar a head.
no 2-no more inplants[hormone]large
euro-dollarcountry.love to buyhormone
free beef.name [HORMONE]IS LIKE NAME
CEBULL IN CANADA!!!!!!!
NEVER heard any action or results of
all these long trips by abp and acc
ben torlakson????
ted haney is starting to talk about this large europe market.
never heard cargill or lakeside spent big trips on promoting b-s-e free and hormone free beef.
first we produce cheap product for the
u-s-a packers and than sell and promote our beef and give them millions of goverm money on top. we need kill capacity canadian plants .witout goverment help [never] [never] those smaller canadian plants get started!!!
paul martin is more interested with the gay and same sex marrige or stopping the misle,s from u-s-a
canadian liberal leader not setting
a good sample toward our problems and
our neighbours u-s this did affect out cattle trade across the bourder

[grassfarmer]

jerryk, Here is some info I found on Europe - it may be a year or two out of date.
Roughly speaking the EU has around 380 million consumers. They export 400,000 to 500,000 tonnes of beef a year mainly dairy bred stuff that even the Australians can't compete with on price due to export subsidies. They also import 500,000 tonnes of beef a year (possibly higher now). They are very protectionist and have strict quotas of what they buy from certain countries. The UK will probably wind up their OTM scheme this fall which will add 500,000 mature animals to the kill annually.
It is certainly worth looking at - as you say if the industry here would drop the hormones they might get sitting at the negotiating table.