South American beef

[cowman]

I was reading an article where they were interviewing some guy from Brazil who said they can export beef at 17 cents a pound! Now I don't know if that was beef or the actual live animal and I don't know if that was cull cows or steers.
The point here is if Brazil can produce this cheap meat then how do we compete? I realize they have a lot of Brahma cattle but I believe they have been buying a lot of British type bulls from North America for quite awhile...and they produce a lot of grain?
Perhaps we should consider the day when Brazil might provide all the meat Canada might need? Could that happen?
If they can produce beef that cheap maybe we should just say" Have at her" and go to the lake and loll about the beach?!
The world seems to be awash in cheap food and maybe it makes the most sense to let the low cost producers produce it? We live in a darned cold country and it costs so much to produce food here. Get the farmers off the land and into something that is more productive than trying to fight mother nature?

[FarmRanger]

My banker says I can't quit Cowman!
With all the rain lately, the lake is at my door anyway.

[FarmRanger]

our province wants to see expansion of the livestock industry in all sectors, however, it is becoming more difficult all the time. Not only issues such as BSE and land values are a deterrent, the fact is that land zoning in municipalities is making it extremely difficult for anyone to either expand or develop a new confined feeding operation such as a dairy, hog farm or feedlot.

I understand that there is significant interest from producers in various areas of the province to build smaller beef backgrounding operations, but just let them apply for a permit and watch the neighbours raise hell, mainly because their municipality has allowed country residential parcels out in the traditional agriculture districts.

[cswilson]

Imagine the armageddon that could result if you turn over control of your food supply over to another nation. Get the farmers off the land and do what with the land and the people.

[cswilson]

there are five farmers on our county council and all but two of them are saying there is no need to protect agricultural land, and allowing four parcels out on better quality agricultural land isn't going to matter a bit !!! We used to have an agricultural fieldman that could talk sense to councillors but the silly twit we have now doesn't have a clue. I feel sorry for the cattle producers that will have to try and operate amid country residential parcels with residents that have no knowlege of generally accepted farming practices like manure spreading or combining all night !! The neighbour is silaging his oat crop as I write this and likely will go all night if he can. Now if he was trying to do that with a dozen residences across the fence the you know what would hit the fan because he might disturb somebodys sleep !!!

[cswilson]

I was on a feedlot steering committee in our neck of the woosds-trying to find a site for a 10,000 head lot. There are so many acreages in our area-we found ONE site that was far enough away from dwellings-the water table was a bit high so enviromental regs. pretty much put a kibosh on us.

[cswilson]

Exactly what is happening in AB. There are excellent regs in place that should alleviate concern regarding the environment but many applicants are finding they cannot meet the Minimum Distance Separation to the neighbour or the neighbours band together if they are considered directly affected by the legislation and do everything possible to stop the operation. There are usually 'friends' of some creek or valley or some such group, and many of them just do not understand generally accepted farming practices much less the fact that they have infringed on the agricultural community when they decided to build their mansion on their acreage.
I certainly do not mean to imply that folks with legitimate concerns regarding confined feeding operations should not be heard.

[murgen]

Cowman, getting back to your post, was that the cost of export, or production?

[cowman]

Murgen: I believe that was the figure they quoted for export. That was what they would need to turn a profit.
I assume they meant to the cattle producer? Packing costs, transportation etc. would have to be added on to that of course.
I believe the date has been set sometime in 2006 when they can begin exporting into the North American market? Get ready for some tough old steaks!

[cowman]

I would say Ted has pretty well got it right on how this whole thing is going to be played out? Expect the rhetoric to heat up as we move closer to the day Gomery releases his report on the thieves?
Watch carefully how eastern citizens roll over and shaft us for some cheap gasoline! Watch them vote the thieves back into office so they can get their forty pieces of silver!
Hopefully Ralph will rise to the occasion, for once in his life, and play the seperation card? Hopefully the people of Alberta will finally wake up to the fact that Canada is designed to **** the colonies out west? That we really can never win at this game?
And hopefully the west will finally realize we are a different people than the rest of Canada? That we have different values, different goals and different morals?
If the east votes in those thieves, just to screw the west, what does that say about those people? Do you want to be part of a country that steals money from one area to give to a den of thieves? Vote your conscience!

[cowman]

Peronally, I wish Ralph would stay to hell at home and not go on a foray down east to tell them about our OIL RICHES. Far as I am concerned its none of their damn business !!

[ivbinconned]

Ted wrote 15 years ago, I have the artical, "untill they think we might get out ,they will do nothing to keep us in!"

He knows the answer to his question!

A socalist state can only maintain if they have some region to "****", steal and plunder. And with the help of the N. (no) D.(definite) P. (policy) they are enabled.

I have been waiting for Belinda to walk the floor now that the Liberals have appointed a sepratist symatizer to the highest office...I think I am going to be sick....

[ivbinconned]

Nobody really cares what we think out here in the west. We just keep plodding along in confederation just like some good old dairy cows that are used to the same routine year after year. Now that the eastern drivers are raising hell about gas prices there is going to be a COMMITTEE to investigate them ! ( Gas prices, not the eastern drivers !!) My bet is that nobody from Alberta makes it onto the committee !!!!

[sjc]

I read an article that said Brazil puts more embryos into there Brahma cows in one day then the United States puts in in one year.
Their quality of genetics is improving and they will be a force in the future. In all agricultural commodities not just beef.

[Willowcreek]

When (not if )this cheap South American beef starts being brought north by the Tysons & Cargills of the world-- it would sure be nice if they would be required to label it as to Country of Origin, so the consumers of the US and Canada could have a choice- EH?