Farmers and Ranchers Play by the Rules

[kpb]

intr3est, You're right--we need to deal with the reality of the current situation instead of dealing in what may have happened. How about we do something in this country that makes us different than everyone else in the world--maybe a cull, maybe testing, maybe both, maybe something I have not thought of. I think we need to do things now to make our beef acceptable to everyone.

[intr3est]

you know, one thing I have learned in my short 35 years, is that everybody in Canada is afraid of change. The staus quo is not always good enough. the market, trends and everything else changes, we need to also. Let Canada be a leader and not little brother anymore. Little brothers always get beat up!

[rkaiser]

intr3est. Do something is right.

4 members of the Beef Initiative Group including myself met with our Provinvincial minister of agriculture today.

We went in with our conceptual proposal for a producer owned, levy funded packing plant that would test for BSE and export product offshore.

Minister Horner asked us where our market would be for this BSE tested beef, and suggested that our contacts who have said they would take tested BSE beef may be all talk. His suggestion was that we have documentation and commitment from a buyer to "seal a deal" so to speak.

I asked him if it would not be the governements postition to speak to the government of Japan, or Korea about rules regarding trade of BSE tested product. His reply to that was that we need to take that up with the Federal folks. No offer to assist in this next step, so it will be up to our President and crew when they meet Andy Mitchell on Friday morning in Saskatoon.

We believe that the Beef Industry groups in this country have dropped the ball when it comes to this and other BSE related issues. It is time for me, and you, and every other cattle producer in this country to make every effort to follow up on the issues we all have been discussing on Agriville.

Time to get in some people's faces. Time to stand up to BS statements like that of Ralph Klein today.
Time for Change in Policy and an end to bailout BS.
Time to look for solutions other than an open border to the USA.

[gwf]

Randy: What was the question your group asked of Mr. Horner?

[intr3est]

rkaiser, are you at home, so that you can email me tonight. I might be able to help with this federal support for Friday. Leave your ph# if possible, I'll get back tonight if not too late. murgen_89@hotmail.com

[rkaiser]

We presented the concept, and plant proposal, and asked for assistance with the feasibilty study.
We also talked about help with a concensus from producers, which quickly led to a few words from Minister Horner about Industry support. Of course he was speaking of ABP, and the topic was basically at a dead end.
I would say that the overall tone from both sides was positive after the meeting and a much more solid foundation has been poured between BIG C and the present AG Ministers office.

[Horse]

I know this is no help now but before this BSE started I know a fellow that did the cleanup at a pet food plant and he took the material home and fed it to his animals including cattle now I am sure he dont do that anymore but are there others that mabey have access to the same source.
Remember a few yr ago there was a pig farmer that fed his pigs road kill and restraunt scraps and anything else he could obtain he was from Inisfail area if I rember right and I do believe he was forced out of business, not because he broke any laws but because the media got hold of the story and consumers started to ask what they were being fed.
Anyway I wonder if all pet food or other users of animal meal are monotered close enough.

[intr3est]

Horse, the answer is no. I know of one chicken producer here in Ont. that still feeds chicken litter to cattle. To report this would be hard for authorities to prove, but has been done. The question is then, should all animal by-products be dis-allowed from all animal feed? Gets back to the same old questions about price of production, accountability etc. Hopefully producers will now recognize how important it is to follow all rules and regulations and how important it is for feed companys also to guard against human error. the status quo of making excuses and discounting science is not acceptable anymore. Even if this thing is a fluke or spontaneous, every time it corresponds/validates with activists, scientists or others it hurts the whole industry

[Joe-2]

I lived in Alberta for 20 years,from 1980 to 2000.I liked Ralph Klein.He cleaned up a lot of govt. money wasting problems.
I don't like him so much after what he said today.BONEHEAD!!!

[ALICIA]

I know that the animal by-product in our cattle feed was to stop in 1997. But what about the cattle feed shipped in from other countrys. Where they held to the same standard. ETC the protein lick that I feed to my cattle is made in the States, do they follow the same gide line that Canada sets for the making of cattle feed. Or is it if made in Canada no animal protein, but if made in other countrys may contain.

[farmers_son]

rkaiser: I was interested to read of your meeting with Doug Horner. Just a couple of comments. I would suggest that producer packing plants such as BIC propose are not really a BSE issue although BSE may have been the catylist the bottom line need is based on creating opportunities for producers to sell into the value added beef market on a practical scale as the existing packer monopoly denies them that market access, instead forcing producers to sell into a live market controlled by the packers.

Asian markets are sexy but our domestic market is still our number one market and should not be overlooked. I believe BIC is aware of that. Producer packing plants are needed whether or not sales into Asia are achieved. Producer packing plants will need to gain a competitive advantage from processing efficiencies, capturing marketing opportunities beyond BSE testing and from proper financing as I am sure you know.

[kato]

Keep up the good work Randy. We're behind you all the way. There's a meeting scheduled for Neepawa Manitoba tonight regarding the new plant that is supposed to be going up here. I just hope it's not stormed out with the blizzard they are predicting to hit!

My feeling on this whole thing is that I am really worried about what is going on in the States. It's getting pretty hot down there, and R-Calf is tossing about a lot of rhetoric about how unsafe our beef is. When they get one of their own, (and I see no way that they won't eventually), consumer confidence is going to to down the tube. Big time. They are too dense to see it, and only think about their short term protectionist goals.

It's mind boggling just how thick headed these people are. Can they not see what they are doing?

One of these days the s*&t will hit the fan down there, and we do not want to be caught up in it. It won't be pretty.

We need to have an independant industry with a spotless reputation for being honest and reliable. Anyone can see that we are honest now, what with all the abuse we are heaping on ourselves by being up front and facing our problems. All of what is happening to us only makes the American claims of being BSE free that much more suspect.

As for Ralph, he should be ashamed of himself.

[bnyoung]

Those R-CALF guys are pretty funny. Here they love complaining about Canadian beef geing unsafe. Now we've had what, 3 confirmed cases right? Did any of it make it into the food chain? Nope, don't think so. They had one, an animal which traced back to a Canadian herd. Now folks, that Washington cow made it in to the food chain, right. How many states did that cow go to. I think I heard 5 or 6 different states. My point is, ours did not hit the food chain, but theirs did. I find that way to funny. What a bunch of goof balls they are.