Peace Country Tender Beef Co-op

[r.reid]

I don't know if any of you are involved in the Tender Beef CO-op, but the folks that have been the driving force behind it certainly deserve a tip of the stetson from all producers for their tenacity and ingenuity.
They are hoping to begin production by May of 05. Partnering with Dawson Creek on the biodigester seems like a win win for both parties.
Apparently the initial kill will be 60 head per day, and when the entire operation is up and running they say they can handle 400 head per day.

And to think that this plant could have been in the Peace Region of Alberta !!!

[wd40]

Cowman's beloved :-) Kline Govt. (Ven Cap corp) signed a deal with Lakeside to never help another packer get into business. So we won't see the Alta Govt. helping anyone here.

[wd40]

wd40 are you sure that the government did sigh such a deal ? It would be interesting to see the terms under which the deal was signed if it exists.

[wd40]

Push your MLA. Some ABP delegates know about it.

[cowman]

Well I'm not supporting Ralph Klein in anyway, but I thought he stated very clearly once that the Alberta government was not going to invest money in any private enterprize?
And correct me if I'm wrong but basically they haven't?
I would hope, as an Alberta taxpayer, that the Conservative government would not invest in risky ventures that have little chance of succeeding? And I also believe that just about all of the" proposed packing adventures" have been labelled as "very risky"? Not by the government...but by the banks?

[Horse]

I sure wouldnt bet they havent put any money into private ventures . Rember the line NO NEW TAXES.
Its amazing how they get around regulations like Mr Mar and his friends.

[hgb]

In a round about way the government is helping Ranchers own Co-op as AFSC is willing to finance producer shares($1000 down and $4000 at 5%) Why don't more producers take the bull by the horns and get more involved in some of these plants. You can not get ahead in any business by sitting and waiting for some body else to solve your problems.

[wd40]

Do a reality check - or pull your heads out of the sand. The Alta. Govt. stuck millions into Cargil and even more into Lakeside. Go to the Library and dig up some old news papers. It was all there, but when you have 'beaten wife syndrom' it's hard to see the forest for the trees.

[wd40]

Infact - The only thing risky for a packing plant is the fickel producers that run to where they think the next nickel MIGHT be.
Acording to our research if you followed the CanFax numbers since 1999 the Return on an investmentin a packing plant would have been around $80 on a $170 investment.
I'm sorry Cowman any producer that dosn't get off their synical one legged stools and cheers the open border should be charged with tresion.

[cakadu]

WD - you bring up a good point. There was a plant in the south eastern part of the province that was trying to make a go of it with producers and they lost the business because the producers went elsewhere for 2 cents per pound more. It makes me sad to think that some people have tried to get things going, only to be met with apathy and scepticism. Now with the hint of the border opening people are gravitating towards that rather than focussing on what the real solution is and that is to enhance our own packing capacity so that the value of what we produce is going back to the producer.

We won't get more for our product as long as we continue to produce a commodity i.e. cattle versus marketing and selling what has the value.

I agree that the people who have managed to see their vision become a reality - like the tender beef and the one in atlantic canada - deserve a lot of credit and praise and certainly well wishes for the best of luck.