NCBA's New President Bill Donald Addresses His RCalf Past

[shaney]

It's very interesting to listen to the people that attended the NCBA meeting during the height of the BSE outbreak. They will tell you that as Canadian's our presence at the NCBA was met with a tiny bit of friction. Now the relationship is on much firmer footing and returning to the strength seen in the pre-BSE days.

Is there something that could put this relationship back again? How about a former RCALF organizer becoming the President of the NCBA? Yes that right, Bill Donald is the new President of the NCBA and he was instrumental in the early days of RCALF before it became a membership organization.

At the <a href="http://realagriculture.com/category/farm-shows/ncba11/" target="_self">NCBA 2011</a> convention in Denver I talked to Bill Donald about US / Canada beef relations and his RCALF past. Based on what Bill says, you be the judge. Should Canadian cattle producers be concerned about his RCALF roots or do you think its the past.

If you cannot see the embedded video below <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzGWYxRBdV8">click here</a>

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[GodLovesTheUSA]

How times change. Many of our industry leaders started their activist careers by presenting themselves as gun slingers for the industry. In the beginning they are hell bent on destroying the establishment that does not seem to be working.. and they end up becoming part of the establishment (industry representation). In the end they learn that really little can be done and the market is not controlled by cattlemen’s organizations, either here in the USA or there in Canada. We are servants of the market place. All that is gained is that the new industry leaders gain that all important monetary compensation. In fact the new leaders soon become dependent on the monetary compensation that is provided.. this compensations is especially rewarding when the new leaders can stay involved in the industry we all love. We all need a dependable income which ranching does not always provide. Maybe you have some guys like this in Canada.
I was never an RCALF supporter and I am a free trader. It is nice to see the market get stronger. Maybe we can make some money raising beef on both sides of the border.

[wd40]

You said it well.

Let me recomend a book called "The Road to Serfdom" by by F.A. Hayek. I think first published in 1940. Makes alot of politicians and bureaucrats very mad. He saw it comming back then and our producer groups still don't see it.

Cut a past the book title into your search box.

Back in 2004 we had hired some e-CEO's from IBP and they told us how USDA systematically rotates CFO & CEO’s from the mulit-national world through a stint with USDA office. HMM wonder why.

Producer groups are always in bed with the stakeholders.

[per]

Wd could you clarify whom you mean by producer groups and who are the stakeholders?

[wd40]

Typically producer groups like ABP, Canola Growers, etc, evolve or should I say distil the loudest most powerful producers into leadership. They being "joined at the hip" or "held hostage" by the muli-nationals eventually bring to the organization table stakeholders being the multi-national representatives. Resulting in “regulatory capture”.

[SADIE]

Right on Wd40-----you said it very well.

[per]

Thanks Wd, I just wanted to confirm what I thought you meant. The exact reason that check off groups should not be driving policy.