Now Is The Time

[farmers_son]

Wherever I go where cattle producers are gathered I still hear conversations revolving around producer packing plants. The issue has not gone away just because the border has opened a crack to let in a few live steers. And the need for a producer packing plant is just as real today as it was a year ago and the need will be there in the future just as it was in the past.

Producer packing plants are not about marketing our live cattle. There are companies out there that are more than willing to market our live cattle for us and they go by names like Cargill and Tyson. Producer packing plants are about getting paid a fair price for our live cattle. Even though BSE made it all too clear that we were not getting paid a fair price for live cattle in this country the problem was there before BSE and it is going to be there after BSE unless something is done about it.

Tweaking the Competition Bureau or attempting to put regulations in place regarding captive supplies is not going provide any meaningful solutions. But a properly structured, properly managed producer packing plant could force the market to pay fair prices for our live cattle. As long as producers depend on someone else to take their live cattle off of their hands and do the processing and marketing for them rather than producers doing it for themselves then producers should not expect to get anything other than the leftovers from the consumers beef dollars.

Yes it is time for producers to something for themselves as Rkaiser pointed out in another thread. The challenge is how to best make it happen. Rkaiser suggested that doing something for themselves no longer includes trying to reach the likes of ABP or CCA. I would tend to disagree with that, having the support of the ABP if not critical would certainly be beneficial. And there is something producers can do about that.

Nominations for ABP delegate are open until for another week until the end of this month. As it happens, a simple majority of delegates are up for election this fall. All it takes is four producers who support the producer packing plant concept to be elected in each of 9 zones throughout the province to see a change in ABP attitude towards producer packing plants happen overnight. 36 people can change the production of live cattle in the province of Alberta. All those people have to do is raise their hands at the right time during three votes. Once to elect a director who supports producer packing plants, once to elect an executive from those directors who support producer packing plants, once to support a resolution supporting producer packing plants at the Annual General Meeting in December. There is no need to be a great public speaker or anything else but a producer of live cattle concerned about the future direction of the industry they are in. Now is the time for a few good people to come forward and do something positive that will benefit their industry for generations to come.

Nomination forms are available for download at

http://www.albertabeef.org/pdf/Nomination%20Form.pdf

Fax, mail, send them in by August 31. Don’t worry about the brief resume as that can be sent later, just get your nomination in by the closing date. It could change everything.

[cowman]

I haven't heard much discussion about the nominations and I am willing to bet that there haven't been many new folks nominated so far, apathy will likely decide again who represents this industry !

[grassfarmer]

Good post f_s, I think that changing our existing organisations to better represent us is the way to go. Unfortunately to do that requires producer participation and I predict you will have poorer turnouts at ABP fall producers meetings this year than you had last year.
I expect we will get a verbal battering for expressing this opinion because ABP is seen to be a "useless" organisation. Unfortunately standing on the sidelines and screaming abuse at ABP will not move us ahead. Individual voices promoting individual agendas will remain voices in the wilderness unheard by those with the ability to make change happen. I am no ABP lover but I recognise the rotting carcase that is currently ABP stands the best hope of being transformed into a viable producers advocate - but only if producers seize the challenge.

[grassfarmer]

My understanding is that ABP is trying to get speakers on various topics that may get producers interested in attending the meetings this fall.

[grassfarmer]

Oh? there's a first then! Would that be someone like Wayne Easter or Cam Ostercamp instead of the usual CAIS or CCIA program administrator or other dull as ditchwater speaker?

[grassfarmer]

Grassfarmer, it is my understanding that ABP are trying to get speakers on timely topics that affect the cattle industry> I know of one such speaker that has been approached to speak but after hearing your comments about dull as dishwasher speakers I am going to suggest to him that he rethink his willingness to volunteer his time to drive a significant distance to speak to a group of folks if they happen to be as negative as you are . Until you hear a speaker how in hell can you form an opinion, regardless of what you think of ABP !!!!
I for one would much rather hear someone speak about issues facing the industry than listen to a group of people whining about why there is no free dinner, or getting up at a meeting and telling us all how we should conduct our cattle business !!! I always think I might learn something and reserve my opinion until I hear what folks have to say !

[grassfarmer]

Personally I think the "interesting topic" speakers are a distraction that waste far too much time at ABP Fall producer meetings. When producers travel a distance to attend the meetings they are interested in the future of the beef industry and it's problems. The timetables we saw last year had very limited time for producer resolutions and discussion as the time was filled up before hand with non crucial speeches and talks. I think this is fundamentally wrong given the seriousness of the crisis we are in. A meeting with more time given to frank discussions about the real issues and possible solutions would result in ABP officials leaving the hall with a better idea of producers problems, hopes, fears and wishes.
Then again the current format maybe works very well for a hierarchy that is content to set their own agenda without consulting with actual producers.
Nothing kills a potentially productive meeting like having an hour long talk by someone that is a bad presenter covering material that should have taken the allocated 15 minutes to cover. I sat through one such talk on CAIS and the producers were so bored by the time it was over that they headed home before any worthwhile discussion took place.
ABP Fall producer meetings are the only chance in the year to express the needs of the members in each zone - I think that time is too precious to spend on distractions.

[grassfarmer]

I guess if a producer is up to speed on all regulations affecting their industry etc., then it would be a waste of time to have speakers on any related topic. I for one, like to attend the ABP Zone meeting to hear the reports by the delegates, hear the speeches by the candidates and if I have any resolutions I want to be able to present them.

If the entire focus of the meeting is to be questions from producers then ABP needs to hear that now as they are planning the fall meetings. I would think that anybody with strong opinions on how the meetings should be run, would be contacting the ABP office and their own delegate with their suggestions and concerns.

I have never been in a position to plan ABP Zone meetings but I am sure it is no small undertaking, and the folks that are responsible need to hear proactive suggestions to improve, not complaining about it after the fact.

[cowman]

I would think the ABP probably hit the high numbers for their meetings in 2004? In all probability the number of attendees will be down in a big way?
The perception out there is a whole lot of our problems disappeared when the border opened and we will see most of the other problem(OTM cows) disappear in the next few months?
I see the federal Liberals are talking pretty tough about retaliating on the softwood issue and maybe that isn't so good for our beef industry? They are talking about tariffs on things like California wine. The fact is they are rattling swords when they don't need to? In all probability the WTO is going to award them some sort of compensation?
This sort of Liberal anti-Americanism is very harmful to our relationship with the USA. It plays well in eastern Canada but it is harmful to our region? When you have Liberal politicians calling Americans bastards and morons it hurts our relationship with our best customer? Sort of like a cow/calf guy calling the feeder buying his calves, a bastard? Or maybe calling the packer buying his cattle a bastard! Hey wait a minute...some of us do that too...so how smart are we?

[cowman]

exactly cowman, we tend to criticize at the top of our lungs at times when we don't know all the facts.
I hear so many negative comments about ABP, that one would think there would be standing room only at the zone meetings but I doubt it.
I would certainly hope that some of the folks on this site have been nominated as delegates, because they do have many ideas for change so should have the opportunity to be a part of the decision making at ABP.

The federal government is going to cause nothing but problems with the US, and it will be at the expense of Alberta. Everytime the border was ready to open it seemed as though Martin and crew got foot in mouth problems and the soft wood lumber issue is no different. There are ways to battle and win, vs fighting just to have a battle !

[farmers_son]

Whether or not the speakers are interesting or the numbers of producers attending the meetings will be down this year or what Martin is doing that doesn’t change the fact that if producers want to see competitive pricing for live cattle in this country then they need to do something about it.

It is not going to happen all by itself.

The BSE crisis is not over by a long shot. Even if it was we will not have competitive bids for live slaughter cattle unless there is some mechanism established and in place to force competitive bids. If you believe that the packers are paying us a fair price for cattle then there is no need to change anything, you can stay home and watch TV if that is what you wish. But if you are of the opinion that the marketplace is not working to provide producers with an equitable return on live cattle then how can you not take whatever opportunities that present themselves to change that. The ABP elections are one way that a producer can make a real difference.

I do not know if anyone reads any posts in Agri-ville or not. But if someone reads this I hope they very seriously consider putting their name in for delegate. Or if you know someone who you think would be good (particularly if that someone supports the producer packing plant concept) then why not encourage them to take a stand and change our industry instead of just maintain the status quo. The status quo people are already lining up candidates who will work to see old ABP policies remain in place. But all it takes is four people in each zone who are sick and tired of receiving unfair prices at the hands of Tyson and Cargill to come forward and make a difference.

It is just like when the Tories beat out the Socreds in Alberta in the early 70s. A few people were elected in the earlier election and then they took over the province the next election. There are already delegates in the ABP that support producer packing plants and if delegates will come forward this year there will be a majority. Change can happen and now is the time.

[grassfarmer]

I'd like to see it happen farmers_son but how do you get producers to attend if it's not in their hearts to work for change? I spent time last year phoning producers and writing letters to papers trying to motivate people to attend with very little response. Apathy is our biggest problem.

[grassfarmer]

Apathy and complacency by those that are ready to get out of the cattle business and know their land is worth more today than it was in May of 2003.

[farmers_son]

I am not trying to get producers to attend meetings with these posts. I am trying to get a few good people who see producer packing plants as a viable means to inject a measure of competition into our industry to put their names forward as ABP candidates in each zone.

Just 4 people in each zone, but what that really means is one person says they are willing to make a difference and it happens 4 times.

That is all it takes to change the way our industry operates. It really is that simple. Whoever is reading this, please give running for ABP delegate some serious consideration.

No one should expect the packers are going to start paying fair prices for our live cattle just out of the goodness of their hearts or that some white knight is going to build a packing plant with the express goal of competing with the big packers for our live cattle. It will take an industry effort but it can happen. Who is willing to step forward? The nomination forms are available from the link at the top of this thread.

[grassfarmer]

I'm in no way trying to pick a fight or run down your idea here farmers_son but when you yourself mentioned in a previous post that "The status quo people are already lining up candidates who will work to see old ABP policies remain in place." that indicates to me that we do need more and different producers to attend and vote - it's clear the few that are regular attenders normally vote for the status quo people or they wouldn't hold the positions they do today. As I see it we need the 4 volunteers per zone but we also need a majority to elect them.