Are we going to respond to these r-calf bozos?

[farmers_son]

Willowcreek: Thanks for the U.S. perspective. I am sure what you say reflects the U.S producers view and it agrees with what I am being told by those producers I know south of the border.

I have thought all along that live cattle trade with the U.S. will resume when and only when it suits U.S. interests, science or no science. Since December 2003 I have believed that resuming beef trade with Japan was a precondition to reopening the 49th parallel to our cattle.

According to http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=922C63AD-AA53-FB8C-00DAD3390871D1C5

"USDA Deputy Undersecretary Chuck Lambert says a resolution to Japan's ban on U.S. beef is close at hand.

Lambert told reporters in Tokyo that Japanese officials had responded positively to a U.S. proposal to better verify the age of cattle. The method involves carcass grading as well as skeletal examination.

Lambert stopped short of speculating on when U.S. beef might actually be bound for Japan, but analysts believe that if the proposal is accepted, limited U.S. beef exports could resume to Japan early this summer."

[rkaiser]

Just pulled in from Camrose Bull Congress. Had a good time talking conformation and structure for a couple of days.
I would like to reply to your question Cedar. Cam and I co-authored a fairly lengthy stab back at the Rcalf BS last week, and we stopped just short of buying (yes you have to buy) a press release. We thought a lot about it before we decided to send it to ABP/CCA and a bunch of government offices instead with a kind of a threat that we would let it fly if they did nothing about this crap themselves. Like farmer_son said, these are the recognized groups who need to speak for the producer, and some of the things Cam and I have said in the past have been twisted by the media to make us look even more radical than we really are. We have become a bit of a thorn in ABP's a$$, but they still have a bit of respect for us, unlike the disrespect that every other producer group in the US has for Rcalf.
So the long and short of it is that we chose to not use the media this time to fight this one, but have no problem supporting, or maybe sending a personally written editorial or two off to the newspapers.
I personally, feel tha Rcalf is digging their own grave, and also PERSONALLY can't wait for the some dog to sniff out a problem with testing in the US, and they expose their first domestically raised and fed BSE cow.

[VETHUSBAND]

Good on you Randy and Cam, Status quo is sometimes is good. Keep up the good fight!

[cowman]

I wonder if the shoe was on the other foot, how many of us would be R-Calfers? The bottom line is they are trying to protect their markets from cheap imports, despite all the rhetoric about BSE? BSE has been an opportunity for R-Calf to promote their protectionist platform and it has been very effective! The only problem I see with that is they have set their industry up for a big fall if they ever get a positive!
When you really look at it though are they so misguided when they want to keep imports out? Don't most industries try to protect their domestic markets from cheap imports? And why shouldn't they...every other business does it.
Consider what would happen if our useless government actually stood up for the Canadian farmer instead of doing just about everything in their power to destroy him? How about keeping the foreign garbage out of our markets so the farmer can actually realize a profit? How about giving back some of the taxes they make on some ag commodities? Malt barley and tobbacco come to mind? Who makes the most money on a package of cigarettes or a case of beer? Is it the farmer who takes the risk, puts in the labor and inputs, or is it the government...who actually doesn't do anything to justify its massive tax theft?
R-CALF is just a group of farmers trying to protect their markets.

[rkaiser]

Looks like Rick and his group saw fit to spend a few bucks on a press release.

Cattle Group Demands Removal of CFIA Head (1/21/05 9:05)

OMAHA (DTN) -- The Canadian Cattlemen for Fair Trade (CCFT) is concerned with recent statements by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) staff that appears to have been made without proper thoroughness or consideration of the way these statements might be interpreted.

"Under Mr. Fadden's management, the CFIA has lost the confidence of CCFT members and, we believe, others in the industry for the agency's failure to communicate effectively," said CCFT founding member Rick Paskal in a press release.

The group says "for example, CFIA officials have recently been quoted as saying that in one instance 66 of 110 ruminant feed samples were contaminated with protein from non-plant sources. Further review showed, however, that only four feed samples out of 110 were considered suspect for having foreign protein in them. This protein may have been derived from grasshoppers, mouse hair or bird feathers which are not agents that may potentially cause BSE.

[FRENCHMAN]

willow creek ...howdy OLDtimer

[Willowcreek]

Is that you Frenchie?

[grassfarmer]

Well done Rick Paskal! I often think it is a shame that his group, which obviously has a very valid viewpoint on a number of issues, has been fighting a lone corner through much of this BS crisis. Not saying any one party is at fault but how much more strength we would have if this group, BIG-C, WRAP, NFU and ABP were all fighting with one voice. Government and their Corporate friends know to "divide to conquer" - we producers must learn that "in unity is strength"

[FRENCHMAN]

What do you think OT