Cam Ostercamp essay

[charliep]

Kind of thought this guy needed top billing on Agriville.
Mark purdey's truth may take a few years to have an impact on our industry, but this essay by Cam has potential to make some quicker cahnges.
http://www.lgunderson.com/essay_3.pdf

[grassfarmer]

I'm interested in the source of this essay - Lee Gundersons website. A few months back Lee indicated in his Alberta Beef column that the next edition would carry a really powerful article critical of many of the industry leaders and lack of direction in the beef crisis. I looked but never saw the article he hinted at - could this be it and if so why was it not published in Alberta Beef? Maybe we should push for it to be published next edition - at least most beef producers would see it that way.

[grassfarmer]

Adding more urgency to the need for this article to be widely published or broadcast is a rather depressing article in the WP today.

Jim Robb a meat market analyst from Colorado says "the US and Canadian Governments need to work harder to get the borders open in N. America and overseas"
"Canada should have worked more aggressively to open Asian and Mexican markets"
"many Canadians and Americans have been unrealistic in thinking that the border will open before the end of 2004"
and finally: "Canadians cattle producers need to factor trade disruptions into their future calculations because they will continue" (Is this a new US policy? I thought it was a one off because of BSE)
ps Worryingly I think this American isn't part of R-Calf but someone in favour of the border opening!

Also quoted in the article is Kevin Grier of the Morris Centre in Guelph, Ont. who says "the Canadian politicians need to focus on meeting American requirements" (really???)and adds that:
"we wasted too much time accusing different parts of the industry of trying to take advantage of the other and if we had expended our energy in the US we would have been further ahead"
(again, really???)

[samsdad]

There has been far too much time spent finger pointing, time and energy that could have been used more alot constructivley.

[samsdad]

I always question: " What and Who is finger pointing?
Are people are refering to farmers getting their backs up over the way we have been treated by the packing industry?
All along our politicains and so called producer groups have warned us not to do this. Don't rock the boat, just concentrate on appeasing the Americans and opening the border. I, for one, will never stay quiet for that kind of nonsense.

[samsdad]

I always question: " What and Who is finger pointing?
Are people refering to farmers getting their backs up over the way we have been treated by the packing industry?
All along our politicains and so called producer groups have warned us not to do this. Don't rock the boat, just concentrate on appeasing the Americans and opening the border. I, for one, will never stay quiet for that kind of nonsense.

[blackjack]

rpkaiser... you are so right ... us cow-calf producers are going to have to overhaul our cattle associations to get a change in the system ... it is so obvious that associations do not have the grass root producers interest at heart ... the feedlots and packers now have their margins set so what is the next step ? if we don't yell and scream at the politicians who is going to care ?

[grassfarmer]

Samsdad, could you please justify your comment by telling us what we should have been doing that would have been more constuctive and would have helped resolve the current crisis.
I'm tired of hearing this garbage trotted out anytime someone dares to query "official" policy.
I assume you are referring to producers doing the finger pointing as politicians have basically done nothing?

[samsdad]

What I am saying is that all of the time and money spent trying to get the packers to open their books is not really productive. It is not helping to resolve the current crisis, is it?

[samsdad]

What is the current crisis Samsdad?
I say that the current crisis is a market where SOMEBODY is paying a pathetic price to Canadian producers while fetching a tremendous price for killing, cutting, boxing, and sending that product across the border to the USA.
The crisis is "no competition" and "no rules" for those who hold the monopoly.

And what on earth are we holding up?
This whole situation will be decided by money and greed...... Nothing that we or our government, or our producer groups has made a damn bit of difference so far.

Test Canadian Cattle and find new export markets.....That will make a difference.