Trade in older animals to US delayed

[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.

[cowman]

Willowcreek: If the border was open to breeding cows, you Americans could be buying cows for about half that $1500! You are paying way to much!
Sooner or later that border is coming down and I think you know it?
When it does that $1500 cow has a fairly healthy loss if Canadian cows are half price?
You guys are in expansion right now? I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. It seems your government is cutting all these side deals with Australia and South America that could flood your market with cheap beef in the near future? It doesn't look like the Bush administration is doing much to protect you? What happens to your $1500 investment when you start to compete with 35 cent beef?

[farmers_son]

JD4me: When the border opened, with restrictions, to exports of UTM it removed a lot of political pressure that existed on both sides of the border to resume trade. That original rule would have seen imports of at least cow beef and if I recall, live cows too. But it got changed after it was published.

I believe the press that was being generated at that time by the lobbying on both sides of the border, both for and against resuming trade in beef was found to be hurting demand for beef. The lobbying that is taking place now is quieter and out of the press. Still the delay is unacceptable, at least from this cow producers point of view.

We keep finding those BSE positives, and positives born after the feed ban. Like do we really have to keep shooting ourselves in the foot? The U.S. can find or not find BSE positives at will. We need to clue into the fact that there are policital ramifications to finding BSE positives. That said I note with considerable satisfaction that Japan is accepting imports of our beef and not from the U.S. which I think speaks volumes. However the U.S. is making it clear that they intend to use our BSE positives to further their protectionist agenda. It does not seem to matter that the U.S. has BSE too.

The future is clear. Cross border trade in live cows is not something we as an industry should expect soon and if it resumes we should not expect that the trade will continue uninterrupted long term. Canada must develop it own packing industry for cows and until that happens we are going to be getting about $400 less per cow than we should.

The U.S. is playing us like a puppet. They have no intention of opening the border yet keep dangling the prospect of an open border so we do not develop our own packing industry.

[blackjack]

...for the plants to be built up here... our cattle association would have to go to the media and put the message out that we are no longer going to pick winners and losers...and that there will be support to help the new plants ...guess what guys its not going to happen... with nilsson's acquistion of packing plants in the states they will be able to play both sides of border as has tyson and cargill...putting extreme pressure on any new competition...good luck to all of us to find that lowest cost cow...cause we're going need it...one other thing the big boys in the feedlot industry will make more connections to raise feeders on both sides of the border as well...why the doom and gloom i do not see government helping to insure more dollars at the farm gate while promoting to ranchers to lower your cost on raising that cow...what a great policy...

[cowman]

blackjack: Just lately I'm beginning to wonder if I am some kind of retard to still be in the cow business! I keep thinking of Cam Ostercamps article about how things have changed and where we are headed? Nothing has changed?
I have wondered what Nillsons were doing when they bought the Swifts plants? They must be banking on that border opening fairly soon...like within a year? Now love them or hate them, those Nillson boys aren't dumbies...
The other day I drove down a road in the east end of the county. There were three farms on that road that all had cows last year. The corrals and fields are empty, the rows of hay have not been touched! Obviously all three packed it in last year at some time! I'm starting to wonder if I will be about the last small cow/calf guy left in the country?

[blackjack]

...cowman...i agree with you on your assessment of the nilsson brothers ...and also the price family in that they had the foresight to invest in the packing and service part of the industry...if a person takes a look at the farms that have been successful it usually is that they are one step ahead of the crowd...

...in my family we have been able to be successful keeping cost down in that we shared the major machinery ...but now we are moving into the next era where our kids are getting older and each individual family usually have their own ideas how things should move ahead...