Canadians Fight Back

[cakadu]

I don't know what actions are right or wrong as nothing really makes sense anymore. What might be beneficial to keep in mind is undertaking those actions that help us to keep moving forward.

What actions will benefit us? I don't think we need to move toward a situation where someone is crying "uncle", although having said that, we have been held hostage for so long now that one can't blame people for doing whatever comes to mind.

The main thing is we have to make progress forward; how that is accomplished is up for debate I'm sure.

[cowman]

jensend: You are probably right! How could he know? In fact I suspect a lot of this "buying cattle in Canada" was probably a hedge thing? Maybe the old R-calf boy never even knew what was going on?
Still it seems to me Mr. Sears is biting the hand that feeds him? And maybe that is the honorable thing to do if he never knew what the score was?
rpkaiser: Don't sweat the hypocrite thing! Hey if a R-calf member came offering me $2 for my calves I'd be all for it! Invite him in ask him how the wife and kids were and take him out for a steak dinner(Alberta beef!)! I guess I would outshame you by nine yards on hypocricy! Hey we all have to do what we have to do to survive, right?

[greybeard]

In fact,it was probably a no-lose deal.If he bought the calves if Feb. when the market was in panic and some were running out of feed,many calves sold for less than $500. There was no real "market price" at that time.Even at todays prices thats at least $3 a day gain on 100 day calves. If the border opens he wins big.

[ALICIA]

I have to agree, right now Id doesn't much mater who buys, just as long as some one buys because my greatest fear is that I'll have to many and can't get rid of the excess and they will all die of starvation, or I have to get someone in to kill some so that I can feed the once I want to keep.
As I see thing, anyone that is buying cattle is taking a great risk, and winter is coming.

[cowman]

I wonder how many other Americans(not R-calf members)also own cattle up here? And I hope they don't get painted with the same brush? We really don't need to chase off our customers.
It's like the deal where the American farmers had their truck vandalized...I doubt they were back for the next sale? Which is fine and dandy if you are the guy looking for a cheap deal at the sale, but not so good if it is your sale?
You purebred guys want to sell bulls into the USA someday when the border opens? Then I would think you wouldn't want to PO your best customers?
Perhaps Rick Pascal got sick of sitting in the mart being outbid by Americans! Maybe these cattle are actually making a profit for someone? But you know, whoever it was, they had to take a chance and put up their hand...I would suggest that their money is as good as anyones? And there is no law saying they can't buy and sell here is there?

[kato]

If an American, or anyone comes and honestly gives me an honest offer for cattle that are priced in a real working marketplace, that is one thing.

I will appreciate his support as much as anyone's, and I will be glad to do business. I will even be glad to buy from him, if the occasion arises.

What I take offense to is when someone purposely drives down the price to get them for less, then tells me they are doing me a favour by buying them.

Some favour.

[kato]

Very well said Kato. Plain and simple.

[cswilson]

R-Calf hasn't realized the old hockey coach saying 'You can bullshit the fans-not the players.'

[BWC]

Great views , as alwats gang, Chinook is just 15 miles away from my house , and the Sears family has several lots in the immediate area, my son works for them. They do, now know whose cattle they are feeding , though at first everything was done by an independent broker. I dont believe that Pat Goggins would have any cattle on feed up here , as I know him very well. He is in fact the man,along with Leo McConnell that make the bullets for R-Calf to fire. Goggins is too busy controlling the feeder trade in the northwest U.S. I do know that Lloyd DeBruckyer and sons have a ton of cattle on feed in southern AB. and he is a director of R-Calf. I think that they are a very dangerous group, and thet certainly don't want Canadian cattle to cross that imaginary line. Just for fun go to their website and read about some of the things that they want to do to the cattle industry in the U.S.Like for example they really want to eliminate packer owned feeder and fat cattle from the marketplace. They are not a nice group but some things they want are'nt too far away from the subjects of the day in our country. I know that this might not be too popular, as a statement, ... shoot back low my legs are already wrecked.

[cowman]

Now I'm no expert on R-CALF but it seems to me they are standing up for the cow/calf guy? I mean is limiting packer ownership of feeders really a bad thing?
Why do the packers own feeders? Is it the fact there is a lot of money feeding cattle or is it a way to manipulate and control the market?
How about price discovery? How do you establish a price when no one knows what is being really paid and what the end profit is?
There is a fine line between "free enterprize" and Mafia like tactics. Is it wrong for a group to advocate for some fairness and equality in the system?
Also consider what R-calf says regarding imports? Why would they want them? The USA is the "show"...it is the ultimate top market! Yes Japan pays big bucks for beef but in reality is a very small market compared to the American beef market? Why would any producer group want cheap imports bringing down their price?
Consider our own country? We have an affluent society with disposable income. A high enough income that they could afford easily to spend more on food? Why do we let in cheap foreign imports? Yes, it is very good for the consumer...and perhaps for trade...but is it good for the producers here?
R-CALF got the bone in meat thing stopped...no question about that? In so doing they kept the beef price up in the USA? Make no mistake, they didn't do anything illegal here...they just insisted the USDA follow the rules! Was any other US group doing that? How about the NCBA? So who is working for the producer?
R-calf is also a big supporter of COOL. Is that so wrong? If you were buying meat in the supermarket would you like to know if it was raised in Canada or if it came from Uraguay or maybe Australia? Never forget the kangaroo meat that killed those kids in Washington came into the US through the back door, labelled as "Product of Canada"!
R-CALF has hurt us up here in a big way but they have not hurt the American cow/calf guy...check out the prices he's recieving for his calves and his cull cows! America truly does not need the Japanese market and in fact they don't need Canadian beef.