Government Should Not Be Running Agriculture

[farmers_son]

Actually from my vantage point Bill 43 is all about more government involvement and a smaller or non existent producer voice. It is about ALMA controlling the entire livestock industry in Alberta and not to stop there it is about the Stelmach Government exercising greater control over policy directions of the Canadian livestock industry.

The ALMA model is about centralized funding and decision making coming from the appointed ALMA board. Under that model Alberta Pork, Alberta Lamb, Alberta Beef and the producer voice are really just unnecessary distractions. If Bill 43 was only about ABP then you would have expected the Government would have just pulled the plug on ABP’s funding. Bill 43 is just one small step in the overall ALMA strategy that strategy being ALMA will control all of the Alberta livestock industry.

In five years we will not even recognize livestock production within Alberta. In five years we will have adopted a European regulatory control type agriculture without the European financial support systems. All Alberta livestock producers, hog, lambs, cattle will be highly much more regulated, bearing the cost of whatever value chain enhancement this Government dreams up but realizing no benefits from the marketplace. Not to say there will not be benefits but those benefits will not find their way to you and me. And without Alberta Beef, Alberta Lamb, Alberta Pork and any other producer organizations left no one will be there to stand up to Government and say this is not right.

Check out the Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy at:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/com12203/$FILE/AB_Livestock_Strategy_Public_Doc_June_9_2008_FINAL .pdf

• There is going to be major change…whether we approve of it or like it does not matter.
• The Government believes livestock production has a bright future…if we do what Government says.
• Government is going to significantly “improve” strategic direction and governance
• (Gotta love this one) Redirecting and refocusing government marketing funds to produce clear measurable results for Alberta exporters…note no measurable results for Alberta producers
• Enable “smart” regulations
• Facilitate the transition of the livestock industry to ensure effectiveness (however the question remains who the industry will be effective for).
• Build enhanced capacity in Government (more Government involvement in our industry)

Bill 43 is just part of the Government strategy. That part being to eliminate any producer opposition to ALMA and to ensure ALMA was the only organization that could direct the industry. The changes to the Animal Health Act came first. Bill 43 was next. There will more.

The Government of Alberta believes that the initiatives in this plan will help set the stage for long-term success. However who asked you and me? No one asked because we do not count.

The ALMA board is smarter than we are and they are going to fix our industry in the way they see fit whether we like it or not. It that leadership or is that dictatorship. It is not democracy.

And when you see these so called leaders get up and speak in the Legislature we see they are leaders only be virtue of getting the PC nomination in their riding not by having a simple clue about the livestock industry in Alberta or Canada. Government should not be running our industry.

[grassfarmer]

"The ALMA board is smarter than we are...." Don't know about that but in my opinion the ALMA board is a lot smarter than the ABP board.

[farmers_son]

But the ALMA board has no heart and soul for our business. Does Kee Jim has my best interest at heart? I really think not. Our industry can go in different directions and who decides which direction it goes in makes a difference. It makes a difference who is calling the shots. If you look at the ALMA board who there gives a damn about the average producer?

And when the Government makes participation in the great ALMA scheme mandatory we have no choice but to go along or exit the industry. Our Ag Minister has made it clear that is our two choices.

[farmers_son]

I should have added that the refusal of the Stelmach Government to allow producers any choice is made most clear by the outright refusal to allow producers to have a vote through a plebiscite.

[grassfarmer]

"If you look at the ALMA board who there gives a damn about the average producer?" Ditto the ABP board.

"I should have added that the refusal of the Stelmach Government to allow producers any choice is made most clear by the outright refusal to allow producers to have a vote through a plebiscite." Ditto ABP.

[per]

Saw my MLA today. He believes that true democracy would give producers a Choice every year. I concur.

[wilagro]

The best solution to getting Government OUT of CONTROLLING agriculture is to VOTE THE BASTARDS OUT. You guys are just too CHICKEN to do so. Soooo suffer the consequences of your INACTION.

[grassfarmer]

What like a revolution you mean? Doesn't matter which party is ruling - Governments always want to create more governing, it's job security.

[wilagro]

Allowing ONE party to run this province for forty years is totally ridiculous. The governing party feels that no matter what they do it will be okay because NOBODY will oppose it enough to defeat them at the polls. What will it take to remove the PCs? Maybe when you guys/gals get damned angry something will change your present choice...or perhaps after you are ALL BANKRUPT. IT CAN HAPPEN and maybe sooner than you think.

I never thought that this province would ever be controlling agriculture and especially the livestock industry...but here we are at the mercy of a bunch of bureaucrats who will earn big money telling you what you can do or can't do on your own farm or ranch. If you accept this scenario, then it is your funeral.

[farmers_son]

I could rehash what was already said and point out that the Stelmach Government has not given this Provinces cattle producers any choice through a plebiscite on who starting March 31, 2010 will control Alberta Beef Producers… large feedlot or the average cow calf producer.

I could rehash points that have already been made that cow calf has no choice in participating the in great ALMA scheme through MANDATORY age verification, MANDATORY premise ID, MANDATORY vaccination records, MANDATORY weaning dates, MANDATORY tracking of animal movements, and so on and so on and so on. And yes the cow calf producers do notice there is really no MANDATORY for the feedlots who are much more supportive of AMLA and the million dollar plus AFRP II cheques they received.

I could bring up points that have already been made in earlier posts that delegates to Alberta Beef Producers are democratically ELECTED by producers themselves, one producer one vote. The ALMA board and all advisers are appointed by Minister Groeneveld and are responsible only to the Minister. As far as I know only one of the ALMA board members would ever get shit on their shoes and really without exception they have nothing in common with the men and women actually raising the cows.

I could go over points that have already been made that this Government intends to crush any opposition to ALMA and ensure there is no one who is able to stand up to this very autocratic regime and producers will only be left with a fragmented voice and no one voice that is strong enough to question anything the Stelmach Government does.

However the point of this thread is Government should not be running agriculture. ALMA is not your usual run of the mill Government Agency. ALMA is going to force you as cow calf producers to follow the Stelmach Government's vision of what is best for your farm and you can either follow that vision or exit the industry. We have never seen anything like this in Canada before. And I am saying to you that these MLAs, most of whom are city MLAs but even the MLAs representing rural Alberta do not have a clue about our business. Arno Doerksen would be the only exception I know of and if he stays in Government long enough even Arno will lose touch with what is real and what is make believe. People… we are being herded into a tight corral here where we get run through the chute of Government control. ABP was the only, I repeat ONLY organization to stand up to more ALMA control and look what is happening to ABP.

You really do need to phone, write, talk to your MLA and gain what democracy you can back for yourself. The first thing we need to accomplish is to be able to decide who controls ABP, cow calf or feedlot. We can do that through a plebiscite vote. If Bill 43 stands then the feedlots control ABP by virtue of a lot of check off dollars in the control of only 20 feedlots. If there were a plebiscite and if the plebiscite vote is in favour of secure funding for ABP than ABP can continue to demand market place solutions from the Stelmach Government instead of more mandatory and more government control from people who would not know the front end of a cow from the rear.