Trade in older animals to US delayed

[JD4ME]

Reports today indicate the USDA rule in regards to resuming trade to the US in older animals will be delayed.
Firstly when the he-l is the CCA and ABP going to stop showing their white little bellies here and explain to the US that they CAN'T delay nothing as they have the same level of minimal risk!!!
And secondly when is the CCA and the ABP going to clean house and get some doers in there I am sick and tired of people like Ted Haney and his like that have accomplished little during this whole messs except collect pay cheques from our check off dollars.
I will be at the fall meetings demanding a reduction in the checkoffs to reflect the decrease in value of our livestock caused by the inadequate actions of these groups.
If these guys had any sense of responsibility or pride they'd have all resigned by now!!!
Absolute leeches the whole lot of them , no wonder Haney runs for the liberals.

[grassfarmer]

jd4me, I share your frustration with ABP/CCA but until the majority of producers get off their backsides, attend the meetings and vote for new people there will be no change. Apathy among producers seems to be a bigger problem than useless organisations.

[coppertop]

goog point grassfarmer. The apathy is so evident, and it appears that most of the people that do attend zone meetings come for the free beef on a bun vs coming with ideas, solutions and willingness to support different directions.

[farmers_son]

The ABP/CCA cannot force the U.S to resume normal trade. That is the job of our federal government in Ottawa. I, for one, am frankly glad to see at least someone express frustration that our cow beef is not going south but we need to direct that frustration where it belongs, our MPs in Ottawa. While this fall’s meetings provide an opportunity to elect delegates to the ABP I would point out we just finished an election for new federal MPs. I do not recall that cow trade with the U.S. even made it on the radar screen in that election.

I have been watching our federal government closely but have yet to see where the new relationship that Canada is striving to build with the U.S. has achieved one little thing. The summit of three NAFTA leaders concluded just weeks ago in Mexico but was there any mention at all about cow trade or for that matter normal trade in UTM animals with the U.S.? Lots of talk about softwood lumber but nary a word about beef trade.

The way it looks to me, the U.S. has basically lost their export trade with Japan for good and the U.S. will continue to protect their producers by limiting exports of our product into their country. Of course the U.S. has BSE just like we do but that is not stopping them from using BSE as an artificial trade barrier.

Should Canadian cattle producers be angry? For darn sure they should angry, they have every right. But it is our government that has to defend our NAFTA access to the U.S. market. ABP/CCA can lobby our government but that is about the extent of it. Meanwhile we are still importing off shore beef into this country and we still do not have sufficient packer capacity to slaughter our own production saying instead that the border is just about to open. We have been saying that for 3 years.

It appeared to me that what got the U.S. attention more than anything else was the threat of Canada building more packing plants in this country. We need to get busy with that and quit waiting for that border to open to our cows. We need to start thinking along the lines of the U.S. is never going to open the border to our live cows and we need to take our destiny into our hands and build packing plants that we can call our own.

[blackjack]

...coppertop...that is not totally true...there has been some excellent ideas brought up at the fall meeting but to no prevail... i think we should take that 3 dollar joke and build a producer owned packing plant but then i guess we would be considered a commie then...just like health care i doubt much will happen...another thing it is time the cowcalf man wake up and take back control instead of having the big feedlot and packers decide our futures ...take a look who is running the ship and do you think they have what is in the cowcalf mans best interest...

[grassfarmer]

In the ABP we have an anti-democracy. Instead of being a grassroots producer group taking it's direction and drive from producers at the bottom and chanelling them up through a command chain to the head officials who lobby Government on our behalf we have an organisation taking instructions from the Alberta Government and saying how it's going to be and ABP is used to convey that information to the grassroots producer.
The shining example of that was the announcement of the "packer profiteering" inquiry findings. The press conference with Shirley McLellan sitting next to her buddy Doerskson saying they was no case to answer. Did it look like the ABP was on the producers side or the Government/packer side? surely they should have been on the other side of the table from the minister asking some tough questions? The only person who was going to fill that roll and stick up for producers on the day was my friend and NFU representitive who was forcibly removed from the room by security as soon as Shirley saw him, and before he spoke. Yet most producers hate the NFU and tolerate the ABP through their apathy, strange.

[Horse]

The ABP is doing exactly what they were put in place to do and that is to look after the grazing lease holders and thier multi million dollar welfare scheme.
I have brought up motions at the fall meetings and had them passed some didnt even get brought up at the AGM I tell you they are a powerful bunch and very well financed.

[Willowcreek]

I think there is more than just the BSE issue--R-CALF has opposed the Border opening because of both the BSE safety issue and the fair trade issue...Now I see where NCBA has jumped on board over the fair trade issue and opposes the Border opening...A little tit for tat for Canada initially putting up the trade barrier on all US cattle..
This is an excerpt from and 4/11/06 Rapid City Journal article:

----------------------------

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association have favored reopening the border to younger Canadian cattle and beef. They say Canada’s beef ban and other safeguards, which are similar to those in the U.S., are adequate to prevent the spread of BSE and to assure the safety of beef for consumers.

However, NCBA opposes allowing the importation of older Canadian cattle and beef from the older cattle, although for different reasons.

NCBA spokesman Joe Schuele said Canada is making it difficult for U.S. producers to ship breeding animals to that country because of animal-health rules that are no longer necessary.

“Our concern is more about getting fair trade both ways,” Schuele said. “If we open the border to older cattle, we don’t have a lot of bargaining position left.”

South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association executive director Jodie Hickman agreed, saying SDCA wouldn’t support the older-than-30-month rule until trade is “harmonized” on all issues between the two countries.

[cowman]

Well lets see: Farmers son blames it all on Stephen Harper, grassfarmer blames it all on the ABP, and Willowcreek admits there is no real reason and America has somehow morphed into being born again virgins when it comes to BSE...Okay...
Maybe Harper needs to walk on water or something? Solve 13 years of inept and crooked government within a week?
The ABP...was democratically chosen to represent the Alberta beef producer? But then you weren't there when that happened, right grassfarmer? I'm sure you could have rallied the old boys down on the farm and got the ABP tossed out...seeing how you seem to like associating with the local radicals!
And Willow Creek: You are putting up these straw dogs and pretending to be offended by some sort of evil trade practice! Hmmm...I've seen lots of American cattle up here in Alberta, pre BSE...of course not much point now as our prices are so far below yours...but we'll still keep pretending you have been treated very badly? Probably plays well with your old pals over at the R-CALF meeting? A note of caution old friend, the worm usually turns, and every dog has his day! You boys are racking up a lot of bad karma!

[farmers_son]

I would say good points Cowman. Although it is the job of the federal government we need to remember it is the U.S. government keeping the border closed. Although Harper does have a role to play in reopening trade the blame should be placed where it belongs, squarely at the feet of the Bush administration.

[grassfarmer]

Cowman, I was adding my comments to the post by JD4ME about the ABP contribution. Of course, as you point out, I haven't the right to comment on anything that happens in this country because I wasn't born here. But I thought this country was built on immigrant ideas, labour and dreams?
So if you mock me for joining forces with the "local radicals" what does that make you? Didn't you tell us how you ran a campaign against the ABP levy at one time? So are you a leftist, old commie or just a coffee shop politician who talks plenty and does nothing?

[coppertop]

Cowman, I do think that grassfarmer has tried to make changes in the way ABP represents the cow/calf producer by bringing forth resolutions at zone meetings. I may be wrong about that but I am sure its a fact.

If the only voice for agriculture in Canada were those who could trace their lineage back four or five generations in this country I doubt that voice would be very strong.


The agriculture industry in Alberta was built for the most part by people who came here from other countries. It really wasn't the US rancher that built the industry, although they certainly contributed.

Many areas of the province have numerous farmers that either came from European countries themselves or their parents and grandparents did.

I may not agree with grassfarmer some of the time but it has nothing to do with how long he has been in Canada or where he came from.

[cowman]

Well I'll admit I may have been a bit ugly with grassfarmer, and I didn't mean to be.
I fought the fight against the mandatory checkoff, with money and time....and yes I was disillusioned when we lost! And disappointed that the apathy was there among producers! At that time I simply shut down and said to hell with this and to hell with the ABP! I guess before that time I actually believed in something?
I'm sorry grassfarmer if I roasted you on not being there...how could you? And I don't have anything against immigrants(especially of the Scottish persuasion)...Lord knows we all were once.

[Willowcreek]

Cowman--"You are putting up these straw dogs and pretending to be offended by some sort of evil trade practice! Hmmm...I've seen lots of American cattle up here in Alberta, pre BSE...of course not much point now as our prices are so far below yours...but we'll still keep pretending you have been treated very badly? Probably plays well with your old pals over at the R-CALF meeting? A note of caution old friend, the worm usually turns, and every dog has his day! You boys are racking up a lot of bad karma!"

Cowman- You will note that this is not just R-CALF that is making the case against the border, but NCBA now also...Slowly they have wised up to what is and isn't "fair trade".

I do know that there are a lot of US cattlemen that just spent $1200-1400 for bred cows and $1500-1600 for pairs that are breathing a sigh of relief with Johanns announcement that the border will not open to older cattle or breeding stock....Because the day it does their $1500 cows become worth about half the price....

[JD4ME]

Since I started this thread I better reply to a couple things said since,

The honus is on the Federal gov't to push for the adherence to trade pacts signed with other countries. But as my industry rep. the ABP and CCA have a duty to push the Fed's and if they are they are doing it very politely, and quietly.
It also falls somewhat to the provincial Ag. depts to push too, Is Doug Horner getting the job done, I'm giving him mixed reviews in his tenure in Alberta to this point.

As far as what Willowcreek says lets tie in the softwood lumber and the ban on Idaho potatoes and soil into this too, Willowcreek the other issues are seperate whether in your narrow view they are or not.
The bottom line still remains the fire under certain elected and checkoff paid individuals has died down on the file.
Is it not time to turn it up.