One day at a Time

[pandiana]

Open the Border.com reached 50,000 signatures yesterday. Good, but could use more.

I believe this new bumper sticker is a good idea, keeping the issue in front of the public with a updated message.

We are still lacking enough momentum to carry a strong resolution to our government that can't be ignored. Are the people on this forum the only ones hurting?



Thu, September 2, 2004
We're stuck on beef support
By CHRIS GERRITSEN, CALGARY SUN


Bumper stickers sporting pro-beef images and catchy slogans are one of the most popular ways Albertans have been showing their support of our beef industry. Another bumper sticker has hit the scene. This particular sticker is the brainchild of rancher Ken Iredale. Donna Bird, BSE In Motion marketing guru, helped him realize the idea. The stickers came available yesterday.

This time the message isn't so cutesy.

"BSE is not the problem. POLITICS ARE!!!" -- reads the sticker.

Ireland says they're still deciding on where proceeds from sticker sales will go, but he'd like to send some cash to the Beef Initiative Group -- a program to build a packing plant in Saskatchewan.

"This country needs to regroup and have our own processing facilities so this doesn't happen again," he says.

The new pro-beef bumper sticker is now available for order at www.bseinmotion.com. The BSE In Motion group will also set up shop to sell stickers this Labour Day Monday at the Cochrane rodeo.

[cswilson]

All these initiatives are excellent but we may as well face the fact that the border opening is a long way off. We need to get to work on PLAN B, whether that is building slaughter plants or reducing the herd or something. Winter is approaching and we will be into the '05' calving season before we know it !!

[grassfarmer]

emrald1, Yes it's true the border opening looks as far off as ever but many of us involved in these initiatives are realising that the border opening will not bring automatic salvation to our industry especially in the long run. If there was ever a time for producers to step up to the plate and take hold of their future this is it - unfortunately, too many producers have sat back all summer waiting for someone else to do something so they can achieve good prices for their calves this fall. The users of this forum seem to have been more active - it's been great to watch how the BIG-C campaign has been supported by forum users when there was a rally on in their area - shame all their neighbours didn't join them.
It seems plan B is proceeding as well, our illustrious "leaders" are in Ottawa holding out begging bowls on our behalf. Their plans for yet another band-aid solution to the crisis will surely fail because they refuse to face up to the reality that we are suffering now because of Packer price taking in a captive market.
The industry is already responding to the rumours of aid as feedlots hold back cattle until they see what is coming and they are also bidding harder on feeders assuming he who owns the cattle on the day the programs start gets the winnings. If the major component of the aid package is anything like the rumoured $150 per calf to feed them over winter I don't doubt many producers will take that option. What happens to these cattle next summer though? They will be grown out to differing degrees of finish/ frame thereby setting themselves up for even bigger discounts from the two big packers for being out of spec. Yet again the packers win - they will have no reason to bid hard to get them because we as an industry have accepted yet another stupid aid package to get us through a few months rather than taking bold decisive steps to secure our industries future.
Perhaps we should direct our "cull" towards the industry leaders and politicians who have let us down badly since this began.

[grassfarmer]

If producers were hoping for a good price this fall it is likely because they have good sized bills and loan payments !!!
For instance: My power bill averaged $98.00 per month four years ago, my last power bill for the month of July was $171.00 !!!!! Do I need a good price for my calves this fall, you bet your butt I do, but I have sense enough to know I am not going to get it !!
A friend sold 820 wt. yearlings yesterday and averaged $640.00 per head. Two years ago I averaged $856.00 for my steer calves in the fall.
This is the reality that all cattle producers are facing, and lots of them are getting discouraged.
As far as 'bailouts' go, I don't know the answer to that, and I really haven't met anyone who does.

[cakadu]

Bailouts, while welcome in the short term, amount to nothing more than giving "a man a fish". What we need are the solutions that will "teach the man to fish" so that he can look after himself in the long run.

What sorts of things the teaching entails is wide open. It could range from the government actually putting money in to packing plants (doubtful, but still a remote possibility), to assistance with opening up new markets, to creating the policies and infrastructure that will make it easier to do business in the global marketplace that we seem so bent on getting into.

It will also mean that new leadership will have to step up to the plate and some will have to let go of the old "wait and see" attitude and start to make things happen.

Not everyone is meant to be a leader, however, we can show support for new leadership and new ideas in a variety of ways, some as grassfarmer has talked about and that is showing up at rallies and doing behind the scenes work.

Never has the time been better to stand up and take control of one's own destiny. Or have we become too dependent on the fish?

[wd40]

cakadau - does your last paragraph mean you're finally going to back of the platatudes and put your money where your mouth is and buy a share in one of the producer packing plants?

[blackjack]

grassfarmer...you are pretty well bang on ...I just wished the cattle associations would have came out and backed the people that wanted to build the plants... the ABP have the money and the power to persuade the government to help build the infrastructure but choose to stay with the bandaid solutions...its no wonder groups like r-calf are formed because the leaders don't listen to the grassroot producers...

[wd40]

blackjack - ABP, CCA, CBEF all live under the armpits of the packers and beauicrats, and the elected statespersons.

[cowman]

The fact of the matter is no matter how much we might think the CCA/ABP/ CFIA are not doing the job, they are the ones who have the governments ear? Who does Andy Mitchel call when he wants to know what to do?
I think Randy has the right solution when he says to change the people who are elected to run these things? Because quite frankly if the CCA/ABP/CFIA aren't behind something then it just ain't going to happen?

[cowman]

How many of you are going to attend the ABP Zone meetings in your area and excercise your vote ?????