Unintended consequences of AMLS

[smcgrath76]

the problem is not that people have to age verify per se. It is that the government is imposing cost structures without adding value. You can argue that age verification is a good practice and I agree with you. There are lots of good practices. The challenge is, how do you encourage good practice rather than legislate it? When it is legislated it becomes a cost, rather than a value added component. I read a lot of things in the document from government about movement tracking, recording/reporting of treatment records, DNA traceability, recording and reporting breeding, etc. All of these can be argued are good management practice and I would agree with that. They are not all fiscally rewarding practices though.
I see age verification and premises ID as the first step towards implementation of further measures.
It is not about what is being implemented, it is more a question of how it is being done and who has any control over it.
As the province increases its requirements, everyone's cost goes up and it becomes part of the cost of doing business, however I don't see the price magically going up.
From a purely personal perspective I just see that I am going to have to get even more creative at adding value to my product.

[Kathy]

Heard announcement this morning that in the USA the feds want to restrict the purchase of meat for the "state-run" school lunch programs - to ONLY those farms that participate in their federally sponsored NAIS - national animal identificaiton system and that have a Premise ID.

Seems this is a clear demonstration that the governments want to control who can and who can't sell meat. The school systems are a state responsibility, but the USA federal government, in order to get livestock producers to participate in their program - is attempting to limit the scope of the producers markets.

[grassfarmer]

How about looking at it from another angle - the fact that we are suppliers of human food and as such have a duty to supply a safe product that is fully traceable?
It is absolutely right that we should start by insisting that the food the school children eat is safe and monitored from birth to their dinner plates.
The school lunches I consumed through the late 1970s in the UK contained the grossest beef I have ever tasted. It was the worst of the worst cull cows they used, something I discovered once I started selling culls. Given the alleged BSE risk that was to transpire there in the 1980s you must realise the risk this would have put the nation's children under if the vCJD/BSE connection were true. In this day and age of litigation it is a necessity that we must move away from the trusty cowboy image to one of a modern, quality food supplier whose production practices can be verified as safe and sound.

[smcgrath76]

I don't disagree here GF. I think traceability is not a value proposition, but an essential proposition. Nothing I have read sells me the AMLS as a food safety program.

[Kathy]

The government approves all the drugs and chemicals used on cattle, not me. I don't use any unless absolute necessary, ie: a very sick animal You are saying that the food we/I have been providing to the food chain is unsafe ... How can you eat beef then? If you don't trust the ranchers.

Premise ID is a global identification number for your farming operations (not just a land location).... the farming practices will be dictated to us. The farming practices of some folks are not the practices I wish to follow... but government will decide NOT ME. So who owns your operation if you can't control your own farming practices?

This program is enslaving the ranchers not protecting food.

And no, I do not believe that eating beef/prions is causing vCJD.

Food safety is a ruse for food control/price control and corporate control.

Another rancher said to me the other day, that the good guys in the business are being asked to pay the price for all the bad operators that care for nothing but money - and treat the animals as commodities. These same bad operators are going to benefit big time by the government handouts.

There is nothing stopping us concerned operators from banding together in the Canada Gold programs etc, and testing - monitor the quality of the product sold.

There would be no need to bribe the rancher with millions of dollars in "recovery" funding if this program was a genuinely good thing. Without the handout - people would be screaming blue murder.... Food safety, my a$$.