XL Foods Announces Temporary Layoffs

[gcreekrch]

Iain and Randy, what kind of songs would you be singing if something wrong was found in YOUR product?

Don't say it can't happen.

Kind of hard to move forward by staring in the rearview mirror!

Transition is tough, adjustments hard to accept. Another player or two may start up. Kind of doubt it will be any American outfits as their costs are $100 per head cheaper than ours. More if you factor in the discounts they will keep on purchase of Canadian cattle.

Best of luck when the CFIA crew at Brooks has time on their hands to scrutinize the lil' fellas more diligently. You can bet THEY won't be laid off!

[grassfarmer]

Dave, you don't seem to understand that the plants I
use are already rigorously inspected to far higher
standards. I know talking to the operators on a
regular basis that there are almost constant requests
from the inspectors wanting them to invest in
upgrades and improvements.
The good plants comply - the lesser ones don't and
get closed.
As for getting my product recalled - I don't say it
couldn't happen but the chances are so much less.
When my beef gets cut they bring it out of the cooler
a half at a time, cut it up for that customer or
customers if it's quarters, then grind the trim off that
animal. Then start afresh with the next half. The
usual culprit in big plant ecoli recalls is the vat where
the trim of hundreds of animals is combined. That's a
big part of the problem right there.
I certainly don't lose sleep worrying about my cattle
being processed at a good quality operation. It's not
cheap getting them processed there and maybe that's
a good thing? When you go cheap that's when
corners get cut.

[kato]

Boy has this place been hopping since last time I checked in!

IMHO, we are witness to a giant sized pissing contest. We all need umbrellas.

Everyone involved is wrong to some extent, and there are no innocent players. It's too bad that nobody seems to have any interest in the good of the cattle and beef industry in this country. They "say" they do, but they don't really mean it.

This situation needs someone at the top (aka King Harper) to step in and replace whatever players he has firing power over. Not some of them, all of them. Then he needs to send a message that this thing needs to be resolved, and it needs to be done ASAP. Leadership is needed here so badly it defies belief. It's like the inmates have taken control of the asylum.

But first, I guess he needs to quit hiding out in Africa.....

[gaucho]

Alsask Burnt down, Moosejaw was consolidated and Calgary mothballed while they took on Lakeside.... they have no problem shutting down plants. The reality is that they made money with the plant, still owe Tyson 2 payments so I guess let them have it back,,, they did after all make money. Yes CFIA would have given them the green light Monday to go but they are no dummies as they are well aware the XL brand is so damaged that good luck finding enough customers that will take 4000 head plus per day of beef...NBI still has plants state side and if they want they could fire up Calgary again... there was a complete upgrade on the kill side done a year before they stumbled upon the offer from Tyson. By them pulling the trigger and laying off workers which now gladly find an excuse to find work elsewhere now that they are "laid Off temporarily" By closing NBI can conveniently try and push the blame on the Government and how they wrecked everything for them. My bet is that they will try and leverage a drop in cattle prices to have ranchers screaming to govt for money. Even if that happened which I doubt it will they woudl still flip the asset.

Lakeside RIP

[gcreekrch]

Iain, I sincerely hope you never do have any trouble, you have worked hard getting a customer base.

Kato, pissing matches don't do much good for anyone, it frustrates me that folks spend so much time looking to blame a cuprit rather than seeking a solution that will do some good. Unfortunately we can't all jump into a niche market situation as that would basically cause the same effect as the commodity market has now.

Gaucho, I know a few stories of your operation that I wouldn't be proud of so careful how high a fence you start crowing from.

[gaucho]

I don't think I am crowing just stating the facts on business transactions that NBI has done in the past. If you look at the past it will most certainly tell you a lot about the future. The reality was that there was always a risk having just 2 packers... one might have closed the doors because of no business future, but I never would have thought an ecoli would have toppled on of them.

gcreekrch as far as stories, I would love to show you what we do up here because I am certain the stories you have herd couldn't be further from the truth. I guess that what happens when you are out of the box for the locals who have always done things the same way for the last 50 years.

[GaryE]

There's lots of blame and finger pointing but common to these threads is that XL screwed up and CFIA was asleep on their watch.
XL probably won't/can't reopen Lakeside on their own and we still need slaughter capacity in Canada.
I would suggest that we have an independent audit from a "credible" firm on the requirements/changes needed to re-open the Lakeside facility so that there is public confidence in the product produced by the plant.
This would exclude XL from conducting an internal audit, Cargill from conducting a biased audit and CFIA because of their current lack of credibility on the subject in this area.
If you could forward me your ideas, I would appreciate hearing from you. Your confidentiality will be respected.
g.etherington@hmsinet.ca

[grassfarmer]

What is the point Gary? The Canadian Government is
not going to close down one of their agencies (CFIA)
because a few people here or there are questioning
the validity of its work in this instance. CFIA is and
will remain the regulator of slaughter plants in
Canada.

[mcfarms]

I heard on the radio while I was hauling water to cows that CFIA is saying its only or primary role is to ensure safe food for consumers, Do they not realise they have a role to protect producers interests as well in the course of their mandate.
Who's role is it then CFIA do I need to hire a inspector to follow you around to insure my business from your ineptitude , and follow up ass covering , which I believe we are now seeing in spades.

[ASRG]

At the end of the day there is only one person who has to bite the bullet....and that is Gerry Ritz!
Without a doubt XL failed. Without a doubt the CFIA failed miserably!
But who had the ultimate job of making sure the beef was safe? Who was getting the "big job"....Gerry Ritz!
If Stephen Harper didn't get it during the listeria gong show....by God he sure better get it now?
Gerry can't do the job. He couldn't when the listeria thing went south....and he can't do it now! Acting like an arrogant asshole doesn't solve the problems?
Nothing will EVER change when you have the same fool in charge of the food safety of this country!
Ritz needs to go.

[grassfarmer]

Allow me a little edit ASRG
"If Stephen Harper didn't get it... acting like an
arrogant asshole doesn't solve the problems?
Nothing will EVER change when you have the same
fool in charge of .......the country!"

[ALLFARMER]

Sweetgrassfarmer.

Imagine 50 CFIA personnel, workers and union
brass all bitching and telling you how to run your
operation.

How long would it take before the gloves come off
and it's no holds barred?

Very fiew people are willing to be told how to run
their business.

O ya how may hours a day do you spend on
Agriville? Don't you not have anything better to
do?