What are the odds?

[cswilson]

Ofv there being a mass cull of aged cows in western Canada(I mean the open pit type of cull). Realistically and pragmatically if it doesn't rain and border stays shut-they will eventually eat us out of house and home. The new aid package was supposed to add up to one billion. Maybe that money would of been better spent removing a million or so cows permanently from the national herd. To furthur it one step furthur it would remove the calves from the mix also. Lets face it by the time any of the proposed packing plants are up and running-the problem wiull have been already resolved. I've studied a few of the proposals and most involve the producer garanteeing supply but with really no reciprocal garantees back in regards to pricing. I can get that sort of deal anywhere without investing in the plant itself-I've seen dome producer forays into the packing business and they haven't been pretty-but kudos for those willing to try.

[Willowcreek]

Its ironic that Canadians are thinking of shooting cull cows and down here in the States they're too expensive to buy. I usually pick up a bunch of good short-termers to calve out and run for the summer if it looks like I've got the extra grass. Not this year. Will just give the pasture a little rest. Good short-termers like the ones I bought a year ago for $400 are going for $800 this year. Probably about $1000 Cdn. And ironically we're 30 miles apart with that invisible border.

[whiteface]

Willowcreek please tell me who we need to bitch at to get some of the cows that we can't afford to feed down to you who would just love to give our Canadian buyers some "competition." I hate the whole idea of a mass cull and wasting all that meat/feed that went into them, labour, etc,etc, but serioulsly short of inspiring groups to start more plants and test and market to, say, Japan, I am so out of ideas for us to help ourselves. I am absolutly scared to death about what we'll do if it doesn't rain with no where for these cattle to go. The border closure I think may have or will change the face of the cattle industry permanently.

[cswilson]

I'm sure if the Canadian government had any cojones thy could replace some foreign money aid with food. If the countries requesting it don't like it tough luck-might be a place for some of these cows.

[grassfarmer]

This has been suggested many times before and is a definite no-no that no politician would touch. Although safe cull cows are worthless here because of a perceived BSE risk - there is no way any western country could ship these to a third world country however hungry the people are - it's a political timebomb.

[cowman]

In 2002 I was saying put them in the pit...in 2003 I was saying put them in the pit...in 2004 I'm saying put them in the pit! Get rid of the excess. Keep the numbers manageable. A billion dollars buys a lot of cull cows?
We shouldn't have all these darned cows...and we wouldn't if the darned government had gone to bat for the grain farmer and not killed the CROW? Now we can't afford to export grain and we're stuck with all these extra mouths to feed. America doesn't want our cattle and America doesn't need our cattle! They seem to be doing just fine without them?
Until we realize that we can't depend on the US as a market, and take measures to assure we never fall back into that trap, nothing will be solved? We'll still be subject to their every whim whether we agree or not?
A lot of people suggested we should have supported Bushes little adventure in Iraq. That if we did we wouldn't be experiencing all this trade harassment?
Well that is all fine and dandy...unless you are the kid getting killed or the family who loses him? And for what? It is like an animal show over there and everyday more boys come home in body bags!

[kato]

Going to war is a high price to pay to maintain a market. As much as I like my cows, there's no doubt I like my kids a lot more!

Got to keep the priorities straight.

[ivbinconned]

I really think it is more plausable that Bush and other (many other)US polititions could have been ticked at Canadian name calling (moron) and other insults than they where by the lack of canadian involvment, as tiny and insignificant as it could possiably have been.

I notice that here,and in our mind molesting media, that such out spoken opposition to "Clinton" war actions were not heard, and infact supported.

The opposition to the war by our PM had more to do with the fact that his daughter had married into a family that had business dealings (corrupt I would add) with Saddam, than because of any moral high gound you might want to believe.