President Bush Promised BSE Action

[crossfield_beef]

The CBC is carrying a story saying that President Bush is committed to reopening the border to Canadian beef within several months. Bush promised that on Monday he would start a process to lift the ban.

This sound better. However I still feel that Canadian cattlemen and beef industry are at the entire mercy of the purchasing market. It seems hard to be able to figure on anything. Everything is just a huge gamble. Lately its been a gamble in a losing game.

[kato]

I am certainly hoping that the Prime Minister and the President can work this out, and that the Presidents becoming involved will speed the process up. It makes me wonder about the possibilty of our sending instructors to Iraq may hinge on the deal but I am hoping that isn't one of the dealmakers for getting the border open. I think that the US Administration is hearing from the producers and packers in the US that need our cattle to keep their own industry thriving. With the low numbers in the beef industry in the US and our own sell off of heifer calves over the past two calf crops, there will be a shortage of young females in the system for both countries.

[cowman]

Well Emerald there is one hell of a lot of young females here...if you are lacking some?
My son has decided that he will keep all the heifer calves! And he intends to breed most of them!
Personally I think he is crazy...but what are you going to do? Sooner or later you have to let them take hold of the reins and drive the darned wagon!
I ask him does this make sense? He says "Eventually things have to get back to normal and if you own them you'll be in the pink!"
The only thing that bothers me here is one thing....Uh it's my money you are playing with? But then, what the hell, what am I going to do? I gave it to him and he has to learn the facts of life, right? Life isn't always easy?

[cowman]

cowman, I am going by the statistics that were presented at the ABP meetings and what I know is happening in my own area. I don't know many cattle producers in this area that kept heifer calves, they couldn't sell their cull cows so they sold heifer calves to pay the bills. I think your son is likely very astute in his thinking. When the border opens the young bred females will be worth a lot of money. For once I kept some good bred heifers back and hopefully they will sell good in mid winter. I heard prices of up to $950 for breds this last week in AB.