Herding barn cats?

[cowman]

Rusty I wasn't saying it was a bad idea,only wondering how come PEI can get it done so cheap? According to Red Earth they are only a couple of months away from full operation. From what I understand you buy your "hooks" and you must supply the animal. It isn't a buyer of cattle at all. You don't own the "hook", you don't get your cattle killed.
Now I would say it does look attractive: $60/animal, one third down($20) and a "forgivable loan" for the $40? Apparently PEI put up half the money to build it! I wonder if Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Manitoba are putting up any money to build plants?
I find it strange that now we suddenly need more packers when about twenty years ago we had all kinds of them? Then in came the two big Americans and the others all quit because there wasn't enough cattle to go around. The only plant that stayed open was the most unstable one of all...XL. Of course the Alberta government had about $40 million sunk in that dog so maybe that explains it?
When the border opens I wonder what will happen to these new proposed plants? Not trying to be negative here, but I wonder? To survive our respective governments need to bring is some legislation to protect them from the big boys? As it sits now I doubt it would take Cargill/IBP very long to break them? Nothing really radical...maybe just some simple anti-trust laws like they have in the states? As it stands right now our whole industry up here must look like a money tree for these pirates!

[cowman]

By the way, if you ever wonder what we are up against do a search on Tyson/IBP/Cargill? Their list of sleazy business dealings and predatory business practices is impressive!
Delve deeper into Tyson and you will find an amazing story of rags to riches! Good friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton? Check out the things that went on at the Medina airport in Arkansas? Cocaine and gun running...two quick ways to amass a fortune and buy a president?

[kato]

We're still going to need a place to kill cows. I don't see them leaving the country any time soon.

For that matter when the border does open, will it open to feeder heifers? Maybe if they're spayed.

[rookie]

Cowman, just an afterthought to your comments... Maybe the guy who made the movie Farenheit 911 ( michael moore ) should be hired to investigate this wonderful business. He seems to get more results than the politicians... and its worth seeing Farenheit 911.....

[rookie]

I wrote Micheal Moore and asked him if he was interested about a month ago. Saw farenheit 911; interesting perpspective. What do you think about the announcement that the election may have to be delayed on account of terror threats?

Somehow I beleive that the cow kill plant is the missing link in this whole game. Not only do we not have a place now, but we have not really had a place for years. Our cows have been the back door to America for cheap offshore beef. What percentage of cull cows and bulls from Canada have been killed in the USA in the past 5 to 10 years.
These cows are what is haolding down the price of young fats as much as anything. Kill capacity for 30 month and younger is higher than ever, and is close to killing all there is to offer.
Young kill cows are being sold into the Canadian market place for at, or near, the fat cattle market as fast as Xcel, Levinoff, and all the litte boys can kill them.
I won't say that Tyson and Cargil will be satisfied to leave the cow market alone for a new potential plant, but it is a chance we have to take.
The biggest hurdle will be finding a market for these cow carcasses as long as we are tied to rules about testing to get them off the continent.
Okay we may not have to test them for some markets, but somehow we need to find out.
Who the hell are we going to find that will ask? Who are we going to find to sell some beef to Asia? All that CBEF wants to do is prove that they are right about NO MORE MARKET POTENTIAL. And join the USDA in the "HARMONY OF FOOLS" testing song.

Yes there are more markets opening every day, and I'm sure that CBEF will take credit for every one of those, but why not a more agressive approach. This industry is turned completely on it's head, and the group that professes to be in the know about export sales can only do business as usual.

Come back and tell me I'm blaming, or complaining, or wrong. Yes we need a plant to kill cows tommorrow, but we also need someone to sell those carcasses starting yesterday. Anybody know what Doug Price and his crew are up to these days? You can bet they have someone working in ASIA this minute.

[cswilson]

I'm still waiting to learn how to herd barn cats-alll i hear is this cattle stuff-sorry guys just a little levity-if you want to read some real fiction go to ranchers.net and read the R-Calf posts.

[cakadu]

CS, Rusty's comment really isn't so far off. Several years ago Warren Bennis - the leadership guru - wrote a book called "Managing people is like herding cats". The gist of the book is that we are sorely short of leadership (even in 1997 this was seen to be a problem). His contention is that managers will not be able to command, order and predict in a world that demands teamwork, synergy and empowerment. What they try to do with people is akin to herding cats - it just can't be done because a cat won't herd.

What cats will let you do is coax, cajole, persuade and gently lead them to do what you want. To get people to do this requires leaders that are able to empower and inspire people. We need to find those leaders that are able to not only help and empower others, but to also "raise up" other leaders.

We are in serious need of new leadership in agriculture in a couple of areas - new blood, new eyes and new ways of doing things, but also to fill the void that is going to be created when some of the current leaders retire or otherwise move on. We need to encourage people to step into leadership roles and become the models for tomorrow's leaders as well.

We've heard some people thinking about taking more of a leadership role in various organizations. That is a good start. Who else wants to step up?

[cakadu]

CS, Rusty's comment really isn't so far off. Several years ago Warren Bennis - the leadership guru - wrote a book called "Managing people is like herding cats". The gist of the book is that we are sorely short of leadership (even in 1997 this was seen to be a problem). His contention is that managers will not be able to command, order and predict in a world that demands teamwork, synergy and empowerment. What they try to do with people is akin to herding cats - it just can't be done because a cat won't herd.

What cats will let you do is coax, cajole, persuade and gently lead them to do what you want. To get people to do this requires leaders that are able to empower and inspire people. We need to find those leaders that are able to not only help and empower others, but to also "raise up" other leaders.

We are in serious need of new leadership in agriculture in a couple of areas - new blood, new eyes and new ways of doing things, but also to fill the void that is going to be created when some of the current leaders retire or otherwise move on. We need to encourage people to step into leadership roles and become the models for tomorrow's leaders as well.

We've heard some people thinking about taking more of a leadership role in various organizations. That is a good start. Who else wants to step up?

[cowman]

Rpkaiser: That idea of "holding off" the American elections,due to terrorist threats, is pretty scary stuff? Shades of Hitler and the Nazis?
I will note that IBP/Tyson has always been a major cow killer? They run a cow deboning line and have always been in the cow beef business? Or at least they sure were a few years ago? Probably many of you have seen Bill Schultz, their cow buyer at the various marts?
You can't miss him with his big handlebar mustache and bright red suspenders? Actually a real nice guy?
But maybe you are right about Lakeside( I don't go to the market anymore) but it seemed like XL MooseJaw was basically buying all the cows the last time I went!
I still have trouble with this idea of one great big plant killing all the cows in western Canada. I can't see why we couldn't have several plants under one owner/manager? We'd still have economy of scale if they were all owned by the same group?

[rusty1]

Economy of scale is taking your capital cost and deviding it by the number of head per day. Any cow plant (exclusive) less than 800 to 1200 head per day won't make it. PERIOD. Nielsons will be standing over the brow of the hill
waiting to be first in line. The problem is we have so many "wana-be's" packing plant emotional thinkers we can't be objective.