Packers

[grassfarmer]

Like most of you on this site I don't buy into the theory that the packers are innocent victims of circumstance as they and the ABP like to tell us. There have been three packer stories I've read in the last couple of days.

1. The US farmers court victory against Tyson foods that made the headlines in February regarding price fixing in the deep South has been thrown out on appeal - Tyson are not innocent they just bought better lawyers - O.J Simpson style.
2. The story in the WP this week about the packers refusing to open their books to the Canadian Government - arrogant and high handed apparently above the laws of the country.

3. The protest by Sudanese immigrant workers at Lakeside, Brooks. Unhappy with their conditions, unable to get proper medical care in case of an accident. Their leaders took these and other complaints about being unable to benefit from the protection of the Labour Standards Code to management and were promptly fired.

I'm sorry but I would challenge anyone to support these outfits. They are nothing but rogues and pirates and the sooner we can get them chased out of the country the better.

[whiteface]

And then free enterprise was born. Privatization usually comes out of something like this and is probably the number one reason I set up shop in Alberta, I felt I had the best shot at taking my business to the level I wanted with the freedom to make the choices I needed. And now myself along with all of us are getting stopped at the border -literally, I want to do something about it. Maybe even getting all of you mad enough to want private packing plants and private testing if that's what it takes as bad as I think I do. I'm still really looking for the downside, the worst case scenarios if we do test, mull it over and make a decision. But certainly enough of this waiting for a border that I'm fairly certain will not open without a huge fight and more waiting than most of us can afford.

[kato]

You got that right. We have a local plant starting up right now that will be able to kill cull cows.

They were supposed to start up last week, but guess what? Their slaughter gun is held up at the border. It can't get into Canada because it's a gun!

How ironic is that?

[nerves]

It is interesting how the true colors of the packers has come out over the past year. From slave labor to screwing the honest Canadian rancher. I don"t think they have ever heard the phrase don"t bite the hand that feeds you. There are alot of ranchers turning away from the old system of marketing. Even if the border opens they will never see any of our calves again and I hope others will do the same. Whiteface I enjoy your enthusiasm and agree with your thoughts. We have been direct marketing for about 5 months now it is amazing the response we have had. We are not good at marketing, we are just ranchers with our backs to the wall and do what we have to. I think the more of us that do this the better the chance of sending the packers home. We need to step out of our comfort zones, the urban population is definitly behind us.