Farmers Ranchers Start your fires

[Cathy]

From Reuters News
Ottawa Agr. Minister Andy Mitchell says we are going to add packing plants and challenge the US for over seas markets.

Washington: Bans to stay in place throught to 2006.


Someone find those big incenerators thay are talking about.

[cakadu]

This doen't sound like a lot of bad news to me Cathy. Keep the frikkin border closed and lets build plants for export. The CCA is working on ways they think will keep producers afloat with more bailout moey. Put it all together and we still have an industry in less time than we've been agonizing already.

I say piss on the border, and piss on the American owned packers. Lets get these new plants built, start testing and take back our industry.

[cakadu]

Well, how is this for a start. This article is taken from the Food Safety Net.

Slaughterhouse to be first in Canada to test for mad cow: Alberta gov't, cattlemen's association still wary
August 28, 2004
The Edmonton Journal
B12
Source: The Canadian Press
GRANDE PRAIRIE - A company hoping to open a slaughterhouse in either northern Alberta or British Columbia was cited as saying it has been cleared by Ottawa to become the first Canadian operation to test cattle for mad cow disease.
Officials at Peace Country Tender Beef Co-op said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will not oppose the company's request to test all 30,000 cattle it intends to process annually for the deadly brain-wasting disease.
The story says that food agency spokesman Darcy Undseth declined comment.
Neil Peacock, chairman of the Tender Beef Co-op, was quoted as saying, "If Canadian companies agree to privately test all their animals for the disease, there is no reason we can't get back into huge beef markets like Japan, Korea and possibly even the United States."
Cindy McCreath of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association was cited as warning that allowing companies to test 100 per cent of their beef will actually harm the national cattle industry, adding, "Allowing (private testing) does not bring any relief to our current situation and could in fact be detrimental," and that it's the lack of slaughter facilities and not a lack of markets that is hurting Canadian cattle prices, she noted.
McCreath was further cited as saying that if North America consumers feel there is a two-tier beef safety level and packing plants are forced to test every cow, it will lower national production by an estimated 30 per cent and actually exacerbate the current problem.
The Alberta government has opposed Tender Beef's testing proposal, saying it will anger the United States.

[cakadu]

You got it cakadu, now lets roll with it!

[cowman]

Well Tender meats says it is a go but how about the CFIA? How come they haven't said it is a go? Or did I miss something?
The CCA is against it. The ABP is against it. The Alberta government is against it. Sounds strange to me that the CFIA is for it? Has Andy Mitchell said he is for it?

[cowman]

Oh also, Andy Mitchell says we are going to add packing plants and challenge the overseas markets? So did he say how this is going to happen? Did he committ any money or government help? Or was he just talking to hear himself talk?

[cowman]

Take a look on jensend's post.
somebody tell me!

[jensend]

that is the point i made at big-c in moose jaw. we have a regulatory body standing in the way of trade and it's not in their mandate. i hope the two conservative mp's took note of what i said that they should be talking to the appropriate ministers to get cfia to heel. those two guys seemed like a waste but hopefully they'll surprise me.

[dsinclair]

I agree with you, rp, close the damn border and let's get on with it. All we are doing is getting false hope and bandaid solutions from industry leaders and gov't officials. And they wouldn't dare do anything to piss off the states because their arms are in their back pockets all the way up to their elbows. Put the money and energy into half a dozen cooperatives, serve the domestic market (we are still importing huge amounts of beef to meet domestic needs), then look at foreign markets. The US has ****d and pillaged South America, South Africa and for years they held Australia hostage, until finally, after 25 years of effort, the Aussies booted them out. I'm not willing to wait that long. Family farms are going down each day. We're in the hay business, too, long-time customers are calling everyday saying we can't do this any longer, we're selling to cut our looses?. Small store owners are closing their doors. What's it going to take for the gov't to sit up and take notice? We tell everybody we talk to to phone the ag minister, their MLA, MP, whoever, to make themselves heard. All we hear from the people that are supposed to know what the hell they are doing is, 'Maybe by September 15.'

[rusty1]

If Mitchel wants more packing capacity, and we don't get strongly behind something here, you can bet it will be built in Qubec.