Product Quality vs. Differentiation

[rsomer]

Very good arguements rsomer. How many more fourteen month periods can we survive while our American cousins ignore our pleas?

[cakadu]

At this particular point in time, what are we jealously protecting? It seems to me that we are standing at the door, pounding on it hoping that they take notice of us at some point in time.

How has the way we have been doing things been working for us? We gave in to the american demands for dropping anaplasmosis and blue tongue testing in the hope that it would lead to better things for us. How has that decision worked for us?

Australians drive Japanese vehicles because it is likely cheaper to get them there than from the US, they are built right-hand drive, which the american vehicles aren't or they have to be converted over once they are there.

Your arguments are valid rsomer, but they also very much protect the status quo. I agree wholeheartedly that the industry went down hill when producers gave up their share of the value in the animals they were growing.

Our leaders need to look outside the box and push for what is beneficial for us. If it means that we get a better share of the pie then I'm all for it. Just because we do better, doesn't mean that someone i.e. the Americans have to loose.

We as Canadians seem to want to do what is right for everyone and ignore what is right for us. If we don't look after ourselves, no one else will.

I went to university with a lady from Jamaica and she could not believe how complacent we were. She said that if they acted like that in Jamaica they would get no where. Isn't it time we stood up for ourselves?

[rsomer]

Lots of interesting points...about Jamaica and looking after ourselves, I do not see Australia using a hard sell on any of its customers. The U.S., yes they play hard ball, they probably can because of their economic and political might. Looking at Canada and the U.S. opening our borders, should we be using NAFTA panels and WTO or cooperating with the U.S. and playing along, much like we have been? Time will tell.

Definately the U.S. would be taking a different approach with Canada if the shoe were on the other foot. Most likely if the U.S. had the first BSE cow, normal trade with Canada would have resumed by now. Still Canada is not the U.S. and there is no point in pretending we are a world super power.

I note that countries do not deal with one another on a strictly customer/supplier relationship basis. Therefore it would seem that beef does not trade on a strictly differentiated product quality, meeting customer needs basis either. Otherwise Canadian beef would have had about 50% or more of the Japanese market instead of the Japanese buying Canadian beef in a box stamped USDA inspected.

[tojo]

posted this website to another forum, but in reading on to this forum it more readily fits the topic:
http://www.farmcentre.com/english/cbc/index.htm?id=292
all part of a very interesting discussion.......hope to see more comments

[tojo]

Thanks for the tip tojo, looks like a lot of people on the same page. Just need some action.