PM to Announce Huge Mad Cow Aid Package

[grassfarmer]

Still got to work out the numbers but in a way this system redresses the balance a bit. At least it feels like the guys that held the cattle over winter will be getting a little more help than those who sold in the fall.
Oh well money is money I suppose.

[rsomer]

Paul Martin's announcement of $680 million includes compensation for producers of sheep, goats, bison, elk and deer.

The other $300 million will help farmers across the country, including those on the Prairies struggling with successive years of drought, to survive a period when farm income across Canada has been pushed to its lowest levels in recorded history.

[rsomer]

This from http://www.info-cca.ca/
It looks like no money for the cow calf guy.

The funding will be delivered as a direct payment of up to $80 per eligible animal on inventory as of December 31, 2003. All cattle are eligible except mature cows and bulls. Similar payments will also be available for other ruminant animals such as sheep and bison. An application form will be available on the Agriculture Canada website within days. Payments are to begin flowing to producers in April. A further $250 million is being made available to all agricultural producers as bridge funding to the new Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program.

[rsomer]

I called our MP who confirmed that there is no money available for the cow calf sector, no money for breeding cows and bulls.

From Ag Canada web site:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=n&s2=2004&page=n40322a

The Transitional Industry Support Program will provide a total of $680 million to cattle producers who have faced a prolonged closure of the Canada-US border. The funding will be delivered as a direct payment of up to $80 per eligible bovine animal on inventory as of December 31, 2003. Eligible animals will include all bovine animals except mature bulls and cows (cows that have calved and intact bulls older than one year). Similar measures will be available for producers of other ruminants who have lost access to the U.S. market.

[grassfarmer]

Surely the $80 per head available to all those holding calves, yearlings, bred heifers or young bulls is all money going to the cow/calf sector??

[pandiana]

Who or how is inventory to be determined? From income tax statements?
Just as an example, if you had a calf on inventory in December but it died in January would it be eligible? Or would you have to show documentation that it was sold with a bill of sale after December 31, 2003?

The sheep thing is kinda interesting. I don't know too many producers that keep lambs over December? My April lambs were sold in October.

[rsomer]

grassfarmer: you said "Surely the $80 per head available to all those holding calves, yearlings, bred heifers or young bulls is all money going to the cow/calf sector?"
Yes that is correct, but the losses the cow calf sector experienced due to BSE went well beyond that. I will get some money on the very animals you mentioned yet that still leaves a lot of losses uncovered. The basic breeding cow herd has not received one dollar of BSE funding and still hasn't with today's announcement.

[johnboy555]

Most Cow calf dudes need crackers with their wine.............never happy

[grassfarmer]

Looks like it Johnboy.
The Federal aid package on cull cows has yet to pay out but we are all eligible on the 8% deal with it. That is for your mature cow/bull herd. I've got my payment under the Alberta scheme as well, don't know if you will get that or not rsomer.
Let's get real though we ARE in BUSINESS and risk is a part of being in business. So we have all lost money, some payments from Government are helping with that but obviously not covering all the money lost. It is not the fault of taxpayers that BSE hit either so why should they pay to cover every last cent of our losses? I'm grateful for the money promised - well done Martin/Speller but I still won't vote Liberal!

[rsomer]

I made an observation that the basic breeding beef herd and for that matter the weaned calf has not received a dollar of BSE compensation. I believe that is a fact. I stand to be corrected if I am wrong. One half of the normal market cow cull has received some funding and now the bred replacement heifer retained in the herd will receive some funding. Funding to date has amounted to between $500-$600 for every calf in a feedlot, to I believe $300 for one half of your cull cows, and now $550-$80 for calves backgrounded and fattened in feedlots. Retained heifers too. But I believe I am accurate when I say the breeding cow and the weaned calf has received no BSE compensation. And as someone pointed out in another thread if the money is supposed to trickle down through the value chain why not give the BSE funding to the grocers?

Yes we are in business and risk is part of being in business. The feedlots are in business but their risk has been covered. I background calves and some of my loss is being covered with this announcement. My MP suggests it won’t be $80 maybe $57 dollars but we will see when the forms come out. And yes I am grateful for what I have received with this announcement. I do think it is a significant policy statement that the primary cow calf producer and the Canadian beef cow herd has received no help in this crisis. Some sector’s risk is covered by the government while other sectors are not.

I disagree with you on one point however, that BSE is not the taxpayers fault. I believe the government should be held accountable for BSE if the cause of BSE in Canada is imported cows and beef products from Britain. The government has made much of stopping imports and of implementing the feed ban starting in 1997 but in hindsight that was far too little too late. The federal government is responsible for trade, exports as well as imports of beef. They have a responsibility when the border is closed. It is therefore appropriate that governments are supporting the industry in the BSE crisis. However the way the support has been distributed has not been appropriate. Too many beef producers have absolutely no reason to vote Liberal because of this announcement. Because they won’t see any of the money.