Some Very Interesting reading on the Beef Industry

[mb_rancher]

its long, but if you're tired of losing money feeding cows, have a look at this report...
http://nfu.ca/

[grassfarmer]

Pleased to see you found it mb_rancher, there were a couple of threads about it around November 24-26 just after it was released. It seems to have made quite an impression on the beef producers that read it - kind of backs up their suspicions of where the root of our problems are. The levy funded beef groups are trying to ignore it or pretend it doesn't exist because it contains some unpalatable(to them) truths. Farmers_son reckons it's BS but won't elaborate - draw your own conclusions!

[mb_rancher]

If something isnt done soon I have a grim feeling there wont be many beef producers left and the corporate farms ie. XL, Cargill will be controlling things from the cow/calf end of it right up to the end products. And consumers will be paying the price.

[smcgrath76]

I think control is the real word here. I did some basic math to prove to myself that control is better than ownership. I figured roughly 4.5 million cows in the country valued at $800 per cow. That equates to $3.6 billion. If we use the figure of $1000 worth of equity to support one cow (conservative) that makes another 4.5 billion. Why would you invest that kind of money when simply owning a plant worth 160 million (Lakeside sale) and a few thousand feeder cattle can give you control over the system.
The real issue is control, not ownership.