Lackluster Cattle Prices

[farmers_son]

Lackluster cattle prices
by Kevin Hursh

A major price spread has again developed between Canadian and American prices for fed cattle.

Sandy Russell, a beef economist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food says the spread is currently as high as $34 per cwt. That works out to about $450 on a typical fed steer.

Back in mid-February when an early March opening of the border to live Canadian cattle was expected, the spread was as narrow as $15 per cwt.

Russell says most Canadian feedlots are losing money at current fed cattle prices, having bought calves under the assumption of a better market than currently exists.

As for feeder cattle, the price of 500 to 600 pound steer calves in Saskatchewan has been averaging about $1.15 a pound, as compared to $1.21 at the same time last year.

Some of the calves coming to market are enrolled in the government set-aside program and cannot be slaughtered until either October of 2005 or January of 2006. Russell says set-aside calves are being discounted in the marketplace with the amount varying widely from one week to another and one auction market to another.

[cowman]

Pretty disgusting situation for sure! I suspect if this keeps up much longer people will finally decide enough is enough and pull the pin? Or maybe the bank will do it for them?
My son is pretty committed to staying in the cattle business even though it looks like it may be awhile until things turn around. He got a "sweetheart" deal on 320 acres of pasture from a great uncle and seems to have developed this illusion that I am his slave or something! Have been out fixing fence like crazy while he takes care of business.
This land is 12 miles away and I'm not all that keen on hauling cattle there but I will enjoy checking them as it is absolutely beautiful out there in the hills!
Hopefully our federal government can get their problems behind them and not continue in this "no Mans land" scenario we have had the last few months? They need to make some bold decisions...and that is pretty hard when you have no clue if you are even going to be there tommorrow?

[cowman]

Just came home from attending our MP's Town Hall Meeting. Talked to one of the Riding Executive and they are fundraising like crazy...have enough in the kitty for an election in 05, but want to make sure they have ample funds should there end up being another election in 06 !!! The business of the country certainly isn't on the top of the list for the Federal Politicians thats for sure.....and I am confident that if there is a June election, and another minority government we will be back at the polls again very soon !!!

[cowman]

Emerald: I do believe there will in all probability be a Conservative minority government, but maybe it could be a Liberal minority? I guess it is basically up to Ontario to decide?
I also agree that if there is a Conservative minority it will be extremely short lived...not so sure about a Liberal one...the NDP have shown what complete dogs they are for a touch of power!
The sad thing is, like you say...the business of the government isn't getting too much attention right now as the hogs fight for a place at the trough!

[cowman]

I watched a documentary on CBC last night on the background stuff that went on a year ago during the election campaign. It showed how a few gaffes in public by a couple of the candidates for the Conservatives and Harper's response literally turned the tide for the Liberals during the last few days.

I just cannot comprehend how people will continue to elect crooks when the Gomery inquiry has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt just how corrupt the Liberals are.
Jack Layton is a oportunist if I ever saw one, he cares not one bit about the country, just wants his moment in the sun and social programs for everything under the sun.

Just imagine the number of low cost homes and slaughter plants could have been built with the money the Gomery inquiry is costing !!!
And just imagine what could be injected into Laytons pet social programs if millions weren't going to be spent on what could turn out to be at least two elections over the next year or so !


Martin and Layton are using scare tactics now to say that if the Conservatives and Bloc win the non confidence vote the proposed tax cuts and incentives etc. will be lost, and I bet that people will be conned by that .
Harper should be on a soap box spewing forth what the Conservatives would do in the way of tax cuts, tax reform etc., to counteract.

The direction set by the directors of this riding association yesterday was to 'attack the governments record, the scandal,policies etc'., but not to muck rake or act like bufoons to get media attention.

I have always had a keen interest in politics but I am getting very fed up with being controlled by idiots in the East who obviously haven't got the sense God gave a goose when it comes to voting federally !!!!

Bob Mills was quoted yesterday as saying that western separatism will rear its head again if the east votes Liberal again !!! He may be right !!!

[grassfarmer]

Agree with that Emrald - the opportunist NDP elected by no-one yet running the country - what a joke.
I heard the other day the Gomery inquiry is going to cost $72 million. The fraud that took place was about $100 million. Seriously how can an inquiry cost $72 million? it's only talk, court time, lawyers fees how can that come to a figure like that?

[cowman]

Well grassfarmer, you mustn't have had a lot to do with lawyers! They can run up a tab that would make the US army feel ashamed!
All I can say is I sure hope Bob is right!

[cowman]

I think that there will be a very low voter turnout if there is an election in June or July. I would hope that the people who voted NDP last time around might be fed up with Layton, but who knows. Of course the NDP wlll still attract those that want the government to supply everything possible. Layton will capitalize on the fact that if there is a Liberal minority again he will be the fellow running the show !!!
For a long time I have felt that we in the working class are the foolish ones in this country. When we look at the issue of Seniors housing in AB., anyone wanting to live in a seniors apartment that is managed by a Seniors Housng Foundation will pay 30% of their gross monthly income in rent. So the people with a few dollars in savings, that might get some interest will pay a lot more than anyone with just their old age pension for the exact same unit.
The local seniors lodges are subsidized by the municipal taxpayer but those with low income are given priority. I have always felt that priority should be given to individuals needing seniors houwing regardless of whether they had a million dollars or nothing but thats not how it is.
One good thing is that everyone pays the same rent in seniors lodges vs rent being geared to income.
I hope that nobody feels I am picking on our seniors, I am only citing this as one example of where those that work damn hard their entire life and have been very frugal and saved for their retirement are penalized .

Not too darn fair is it ????

[cakadu]

I see the Green Party as coming out a little stronger this time. In the last election many votes were placed with them as protest votes, but maybe not so this time. The conservatives also have the problem of more inner rumblings - Belinda is stirring the pot a little. The fact that the Conservatives have slipped again in the polls does speak to the milque toast appeal of Harper himself.

I'm not sure how much good can come out of the "unholy" alliance of the Conservatives and the Bloc, particularly if the Conservatives win a minority, which could happen. Imagine what dancing the Conservatives will have to do in order to keep the Bloc happy.

The sad part is that we are becoming more and more of a laughing stock on the world stage, government business is NOT being done and if the budget fails, we have paid these clowns to do absolutely nothing for the last year. Granted, it is probably cheaper than what the scandal and the inquiry have cost us, but we just keep sending good money after bad. What would happen if we wiped the entire slate clean and started all over again? No more has beens, wanna bes and never was. Government is clearly not working, shouldn't we be allowed to start over and get rid of all the rubbish?

[cakadu]

Makes anyone with a miniscule amount of common sense sick doesn't it.
I will state emphatically that I am NOT a Belinda fan !!!! Can bet your boots she doesn't know a darn thng about agriculture and likely cares less !!!
Too bad that Harper doesn't have more pizazz but when you look back at the PM's that have had some fire to them, they haven't really looked after the interests of the entire country either . Old Dief did look after the west though.

[cakadu]

I'm too young to remember when Diefenbaker was in power - before my time - so it makes me wonder what he had that these other leaders from the west don't have? Wasn't he the last leader from the West? What happened to enable him to get in with the huge majority that he did? What would it take to repeat something like that?

[cowman]

Consider this scenario: The BLOC basically aces Quebec. The Conservatives do the same in the west, with a few rural ridings in Ontario. The Maritimes and the rest of Ontario go mostly liberal and NDP. In the end the country ends up with a Conservative minority?
Obviously the BLOC will be pushing their agenda and Harper will have to dance with them if he hopes to survive? That might be a good thing?...Let me explain that reasoning...Harper could then begin to "decentralize" the federation and move Quebec and all the other provinces toward a more decentralized country? Hopefully the end result would be the end of this country and the beginnings of at least three new countries, maybe four? Could these four countries cut it on their own? Well clearly the west could but not so sure about the others. I would think the Maritimes would be Americans fairly quick and I don't know how Quebec might make out without their welfare tit. Ontario might make it even though they wouldn't have the rest of the country to screw.

[cowman]

Sad state of affairs our country is in. Of course if you are from Ont. or Que. you really don't care about the west as long as the money keeps flowing east.