Why would Canadian Cattlemen support the monopoly?

[cottonpicken]

HA HA HA

And then american subsidized farmers bid up the price of canadian made fertilizer to a point where there may be a shortage here.

HA HA HA

And then american subsidized lentil growers ship their product north undercutting us and the markets we developed.Ive seen this with my own eyes.Dozens of north dakota plated trucks at pulse plant.

HA HA HA

Canadian cattle-who needs them their inffested with mad cow dont you know!

HA HA HA

Iraq-bomb em their liable to take us over any minute.
Iran-same thing

HA HA HA

Canadian grain?Oh dont worry we'll never mess with that.

HA HA HA

Lets hear it parsly,your one person deffinatly not afraid to defend an undefendable position.

[cowman]

Charlie: Without a doubt the barley/cattle thing has been good for Alberta farmers? Not saying it was always equal...and readily admit over the years the cattle industry did better than the barley producer!
I would point out that it is a "symbiotic relationship"...and quite often the barley producer and the cattleman are the same person!
The times are a changin...and the fact is if I can make more money selling my barley to a "bio-fuel set up" or a new type of "malt set up(minus the CWB)" then...I will grow barley!
As I have said before on here...barley and canola really work well in the area I live in? They are the dominant crops...and for a good reason.
In central Alberta we really have no use, or need for the CWB? That is why we continue to vote Jim Chatenay in with huge majoritys?
Do I like what I am seeing with the end of the "cheap barley/high cattle prices? Well no I don't...I like raising cows...but not enough to take a bath on them, and raise them for fun!

[parsley]

cotonpickin and cowman,

My position is all farmers must be able to sell what they grow.

It is a very defensible position, economically, sustainably, socially, politically,and morally.

Thank you cowman for acknowledging the latter.

I agree, that morally, there is a fairness factor absent in the present sysyem. Cattleman have enjoyed the benefit of cheap captive feed grain, whilst grain farmers have been held hostage through the denial of CWB export permits.

We've lived in both worlds, and learned that what the cattleman needs to thrive is the same as what the grain farmer needs to thrive. You can't raid one to benefit the other, because one disappears, and I don't want my neighbor's farm, I want my neighbor as Wendell Barry so aptly writes.

It's called decency. Farmers must respect each other's views and interests, with a position that ALL farmers must be able to sell what they grow.

Parsley

[charliep]

cowman

Agree with your statements. Changes in the grain industry and other factors will have a big impact on the livestock. Don't know if I would be ripping up all that pasture land yet. It may be that 4 legged critters are just as good for harvesting crops as quarter million combines. Likely will always have a group of guys who check calving cows before bed and at 3 am in the morning. The question will be where they get fed out - here or south of the border.

[parsley]

charliep, the CWB Act was changed to allow imports of foreign grain.

Foreign grain comes into Canada all the time, but Canuck grain can't get out.

Do you recall opposition to letting cheap grain in?

One thing cattlemen will appreciate, is that the CWB Act was changed specifically to allow imports to come into Canada freely. Not even a license required anymore. Cheap American, or Russian or Argentinian etc. feed grains come in. The cattle industry in Canada prepared itself.

Now, feed grain growers need to do the same or we're out of business, but could sure use some help from the cattlemen.

Parsly

[cowman]

parsley: In 2002, after a very tough drought year, barley prices started to rise. In 2002 the border was open to cattle and calves started moving in large numbers across the border.
Now this is from my perspective and probably not the general feeling of most cattlemen and certainly not our so called organizations: I also had some barley! I was looking forward to the higher price to offset the lower drought yields? Sold the calves and they went to Washington...there was not a crash in the calf prices?
So what happens? In comes the subsidized corn from the USA! Down goes the barley price! All the feedlots applaud because they can now get cheap corn...and force the price of barley down? The fact was it just wasn't fair?
Not only not fair, but I would suggest probably illegal? Much of that corn coming into southern/central Alberta was infected with fusarium gramminearum? Under the Pest Control Act it should not have been allowed in, but was... with the encouragement of the Alberta government! To increase the profitability of a few feedlots the malting and hog industries were put at risk? How smart was that?

[parsley]

cowman,

Debating the issues of international policy fairness, who's measurement only serves to salary countless years of economists, is not why this thread was initiated, so I want to get back on track.

QUESTION Why can the present CWB policy result in the borders slamming shut to pork.or beef. or chicken.?

ANSWER Because they are all fed CHEAP Canadian off-Board grain that Americans cannot buy. That amounts to a PROHIBITION and under NAFTA, that spells trade action, by the US, and that shuts out lamb chops.

All the CWB has to do to quell the potential threat is to provide export access via licenses to all DA farmers.

Nothing complicated. Strictly business. No money. No court cases. No wrangling.

Parsley

[charliep]

1) Alberta and hog producers (who also likely grow at least some grain) are generally on side with a more open barley market which includes direct price signals from the export feed market and malt.

2) An open border which includes 2 way trade is a good thing for both industries.

3) The US is not necessarily always a fair trader and has/can take action on grain or livestock at any time. There are processes that can bring them back to reality realizing the cost in lost markets, time and money.

4) I don't think anyone (starting with me) understands the impact of the US ethanol initiatives on the corn market and the traditional user of it. It will impact how much corn the US exports (some will come to Canada for secure supplies of feed grains) and the competitiveness of their livestock industry. All these things will impact the necessity of the US keeping access to Canadian product (crops and livestock) and their competitiveness in world markets (will create opportunities for Canada).

[charliep]

Should be Alberta cattle and hog producers etc.

[wedino]

I don't think Ontario can grow enough corn for their ethanol plants(proposed plants, not sure how many plants are being built) so Michigan corn will go to Ont. to produce ethanol.

Wheat based ethanol plants in the west make a lot of sense to me.