PM to Announce Huge Mad Cow Aid Package

[nerves]

Agriculture is a tough business period. The people that produce meat products are on the verge of collapse. In our area we have had four years of drought. Last year we paid extemly high prices for feed, staw, and grain. Take 2.50 a bushel for barley and cut it to .50 a bushel that is the price eqivulant to what we get for our cows during the BSE thing. Try to survive on that Impossible. The meat producer has to paid or you will see a lot more part time grain farmers. We broke up about 300 acres of pasture last year and going to do 200 more. If this drought does not end and if we don"t get the return we out of our meat products we will break up another 1000 think of what this will do for grain markets. I can get in a complete line of machinery for under 25,000.$ (already Have) I am ready to bail if BSE keeps up and don"t think I am the only one. That is why the meat producer needs to paid on this more than the other commodities Agriculture is a tough business but it could get alot tougher for all involved.

[cakadu]

Grassfarmer is right - I read in the paper (if you can believe all you read) that the other groups i.e. not cattle, will receive some $315 million in aid. Who knows if this money will get to where it is going to go.

The only thing I wonder about with these "smaller" groups, is why haven't they hit the radar. I pay checkoff money - mandatory now that the eartags came into effect on Jan 1, and I have no idea what that checkoff money is buying me because I have heard very little in terms of any kind of lobbying on behalf of the sheep industry.

There have been a couple of snippets in my sheep publications - but where in the news do you ever hear about any of the alternative groups raising holy hannah down in Ottawa, across the border or even in my own province?

Unless something major happens, I think it is fairly safet to say that the Liberals are in after the next election. I still hold out some hope that someone is going to come from behind to give them a run for their money - just like Kerry is hot on Bush's heels - but so far nothing like that is coming to the fore.

One can only hope that this money makes it to where it truly needs to go. There are many producers that are hard pressed to find the $$$$$ to feed their animals right now. Truthfully, I am surprised that we don't hear more about animals being neglected - I am grateful that we aren't - most of us want to look after our animals properly and we do owe it to them. It does speak well of how hard we try to do the right thing.

[bshaw2]

There are lots of reasons why these smaller groups haven't hit the radar......

Sheep and lambs, while numerous in our own rights, don't attract the headlines that "beef" numbers do. Llamas, alpacas, bison, elk and deer are the same. Our numbers are apparently insignificant enough that the newsmedia just says SO? We have to remember that these industries were poised for a significant increase in production when BSE hit. Our market potential is so hugh and ALL Domestic, we just have to get our ducks in a row as far as establising a steady year round supply of a quality product. Canadian lamb production accounts for only 30 % of our country's consumption. Like the beef industry in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, we have virtually a complete lack of slaughter capacity.

We have been very fortunate in the sheep sector to have some very hardworking spokespeople working in the trenches trying to get the politicians to remember these other ruminants. We just have to hope that when this crisis is over, that these people are still able to be involved in an industry that hopefully respects the commitments that they have made for us.

[rusty1]

Now that the Conservatives have some momentum and the Liberals have egg all over their faces , I don't think those sly ..... will call an election till at least fall. I which they would call a spring one, I think (although I'm not happy with my membership in the old Reform party getting into bed with Red Tories), they at least can't screw the country up any worse than it is.

[dalek]

This is mostly re-announced money that hasn't been spent yet because of red tape and arguing with the provinces, not new money.

Just arranging now to buy standing hay from various beef neighbours who have de-populated for the next couple of summers, we're tearing everything up for corn and soybeans at these prices.

[Horse]

Did anyone see to report of the producers that got the 400 mil from the provincial govmt that the minister said would be published this past week.
The figures used was 1539 producers just on an average that would be 260,000 per I sure hope she keeps her word on disclosing that list.

[k-way]

Up to $80 ahead excluding bulls and mature cows, thats not going help very much for the cow calf guy, more help for the feedlots.

[grassfarmer]

k-way, Do you know when the numbers are to be counted? Is this last September or 1st January? - if it was last September when we all had calves still on farm it could be quite useful - on a 100 cow herd - maybe $8000 any bred heifers on top of that. It would be way better than $180 X 8% of your herd we got for mature animals. If it is after fall calf sales there will be winners and losers depending if you kept or sold calves.

[k-way]

December 31, 2003

[kato]

Comparing fall prices to now's prices, including what they have cost to feed, we still think we'd have been better off selling last fall. Subsidy or no subsidy.