Where will all the cows go?

[kato]

Actually, Jack Russell Terriers are the hot item this year.

[ValueChainFX]

dalek there are people across Canada looking at building plants specific to cows, you are right that the economics on a cow plant are tight!

I think a lot of what is being looked at is the long term for cows. We know we are going to have them every year and it is not as if we are raising them for the cow market. Kinda like buying a tractor and when it wears out, you sell it or park it! Unlike a tractor the cow eats and costs you money so chances are you sell it.

So looking at the cow market with this in mind, any suggestions as to how we as an industry should deal with this?

Do we build a plant? Do we try to build our own markets for cow products? Do we include the cows in a mix of products going through a plant? Any suggestions?

[dalek]

ValueChain, there is no market for cows, and there isn't going to be a market for cows for years other than what little domestic one there was, most of which we couldn't afford to fill before. The only answer that makes any sense is to cull everything over 5 or 6 years old instead of sinking money into a bottomless pit trying to find a market for cows that aren't going to be worth anything until the border opens for them, which will be years even if it opens for younger stuff tomorrow.
The only thing we're doing now is shifting cows all over the country. Last week 40 potloads of cows from Alberta went into Quebec to be slaughtered, meanwhile we're selling them in Ontario for 9 and 10 cents. Lets dump them in a pit and get it over with instead of this slow lingering demise.

[ValueChainFX]

dalek, sorry to hear that there is no market for cows! I think there is, maybe not for all that is going to hit the market but a market none the less.

The biggest challenge is getting the animals killed, now and especially when the boarder opens up. But I guess the choices are there for you to go into the pit as well.

Again our government needs to look at the imports and make some adjustments as I believe they probably can ....