Zone Meeting

[crossfield_beef]

rsomer (alias farmers_son) Those of who serve the ABP and are as involved in the beef industry as much or more than you are resent the suspicion and conflict you continually cause. We resent being called liars and stupid sheep. We are cattle producers who are deeply concerned about our Alberta industry.
For your information here is a copy of the 2004 Annual report ***
Following changes implemented last
year to establish an elected cattle feeder council and direction from our annual general meeting last December, the board has developed the details of an industry council.
Membership in the council will include
representatives from the Alberta Auction Markets’ Association, Alberta Livestock Dealers’ Association and other provincial industry associations. The ABP annual
general meeting will then elect two industry
council delegates to the ABP board.
The development of an industry council
should serve to more effectively bring the
industry together around the current crisis
and other challenges in the future.


You continually stir the pot, twisting events and information to make yourself look like a white knight. Your fellow ABP delegates know better and know who you are. What a jackass.

[crossfield_beef]

crossfield_beef. Any interest on your part in exposing yourself?

I live right across the road from Crossfield so I am suspecting we are neighbors.
Randy Kaiser
rpkaiser@telusplanet.net

Is there room for discussion on this industry council thing?

We have heard from almost every Canadian involved in the Cattle Industry that the USA has shown us what kind of friend they are in the past year and a half. Most would agree, that they have not been a very close friend.
Why? Because they have cost producers of this country money. We can argue every angle from politics to science, but in the end it all boils down to dollars.

I wonder why the same statement has not been raised concerning our FRIENDS the packers. Have they not shown their true colors as well. Have they not shown that everything they do is about money?
Have they not cost the producers money?

I agree that the industry council does not stipulate a position avaiable to the packers, but can we question the motives of Cargil and Tyson to become involved with our producer group while showing no interest in the past two years to work with producers to solve this crisis.

I will not entertain the thought that the packers have helped by slaughtering great numbers etc. etc. This was a no brainer, and had nothing to do with helping, other than helping themselves to slop trough full of profit. There were three option avilable. Shut the doors....Ya right. Grab every cent they could while they could. Or prove that they are part of the Beef Cattle Industry in Canada and show some respect for their associates. We all know which choice they made.

On top of this we continue to pour millions into advertising through B.I.C. and CBEF to help these very packers sell their beef.

I do not want to come out and be labeled anti packer, we obviously need a packing industry in Canada. However if the past 20 months have not opened our eyes to the need for change within our industry concerning multinational packers, we are pretty damn blind.

Personally concerning Feeder council and Industry council, I am told that all delegates must be checkoff paying producers, but I do not agree that these special interest groups should sit on any board without first coming up through the ranks like any other delegate. For crying out loud, we only had about 200 people vote at four meetings in our whole zone. If a feedlot fellow cannot garner enough support from a group that size, what business does he have sitting on the board of PRODUCER GROUP. Feeders are producers are they not?

This little tweek to the democratic process has now led to this Industry council request. What next?

Why not build committes once the elected people are in place.

Democracy has been altered, and credibility is being questioned by more and more folks all the time.

[farmers_son]

I think you owe me an apology sir. I never called anyone a liar or stupid sheep. The only information I have on the ABP comes from attending ABP meetings, reading their Annual Reports and Grassroots, talking to ABP directors and sometimes that information is quite sketchy. I am no ones white knight, just a feedlot producer who pays quite a bit of checkoff. I do not want to be anyones white knight either. I am not a member of ABP, Big C, WSGA or any beef organization. I do realize the importance of the ABP to my industry and maintain my interest because of that. Can I infer that you are on the ABP? Maybe you could care to discuss ABP issues here? I am sure that would be welcome. The only delegate or candidate I see in my zone that is from Crossfield is Randy Kaiser. Don't know what ticked you off, crossfield_beef, or what you are afraid of but I have no intention of calling you a jackass. I have reread my posts and the only thing I have said is there has not been a lot of discussion of Industry Council and that is the truth. Thanks for pointing out the small reference to Industry Council in the 2004 Annual Report but I would point out that definitely the 2003 Report says packers and the ABP directors I have talked to tell me packers too. If you have information on Industry Council that you wish to share please do so. I would welcome it. And if you are on the ABP or a candidate for ABP and call a fellow producer jackass then you should not be there. That is not what this producer is paying checkoff dollars for, to be called names.
Geez, all I asked for was information and I pointed out there has not been enough. Get real.