Heavy hand of CFIA

[kato]

I can see them jumping all over someone who is selling cattle without tags, but in the case of catching up to them at a community pasture, a warning would be a better way to do it. It's not like the cattle were changing hands, and if that community pasture is like the one we use, the cows would have been caught at unload and tagged there. Ours all need three pieces of ID at the pasture, and the CCIA tag is one of them.

They'd be better off at the auction mart, where untagged cattle are a more serious matter. Poor use of resources, in my opinion.

[skip]

I was wondering if they are following a zero tolerance approach on this....
to be perfect will be expensive.


This is going to add costs to Canadian production compared to the US where they don't have this systems

[coppertop]

I attended a roundtable meeting with
Federal Ag Minister Gerry Ritz this
morning. He was advised about the heavy
handed ear tag police at the CFIA and he
said they have no budget to do that, they
answer to him and he is contacting them
next week to tell them to cease the
practice.

[kato]

Ohh... ya gotta love those election scares! LOL

[coppertop]

Whether or not producers on this site agree
with ABP and how well they represent the
cow/calf sector, ABP was front and centre
at the meeting with Ritz and represented
the interest of the Alberta Cow/Calf
producer very well. Several cow/calf
producers spoke as did feedlot operators
and zone delegates from ABP. As a producer
I was pleased with the issues they brought
forth.

[grassfarmer]

Well good for ABP - makes me wonder what you have to do to score an invite to these events though - were any other cattle organisations/farm groups invited or represented?

[coppertop]

Grassfarmer, our MP organized the
meeting and all members of his Riding
Association, were invited. I am and have
been a Director since he first was
elected and have had the opportunity to
meet numerous federal Ministers, but I
honestly think Ritz is the best of the
bunch. Municipal officials from across
the riding were also invited, but the
main attendees were producers. Pork
producers were there in large numbers,
grain producers were represented. Both
these groups spoke, Pork producers spoke
at length about the crisis in their
industry. ABP had the local delegates
plus Kevin Boon, Stuart Thiessen and
Laycraft was there as well.
The format was Q/A, no speeches and the
Minister mingled with and spoke to
producers for half an hour prior to and
after the meeting.
I would suggest that you contact your MP
( likely Blain Calkins) and ask that he
organize a similar meeting in your
riding. One rumor that is making the
rounds in provincial circles is a
possible cabinet shuffle within the next
few weeks, and the scuttlebutt is that
AG is one of the ministries that will
see a change.