No Sacred Cow

[wilagro]

So according to the Glob and Snail Harper may be about to screw Canadian farmers AGAIN. Bye, bye Canadian dairy, egg and chicken farmers...to be sacrificed to the Golden Calf of World Trade and Harper's glory.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/john-ibbitson/why-protecting-dairy-poultry-farmers-is-no-sacred-cow-for-harper/article2366116/

The man and his party are going wreck agriculture in Canada completely if this goes through. Don't say I didn't warn you.

[lesm]

Great news! Well come to the free world
economy.

[cottonpicken]

Holy moly,i can't believe it.

Eastern farmers are screwed.

[cottonpicken]

Whats one of those quotas worth as of this moment
in time?

Probably a good time to buy breeding stock?

[agstar77]

On the bright side we will all have cheaper milk, eggs and chicken.

[FarmRanger]

No more sacrificing the western grain farmer on
the supply management altar. That's not bad
news.

The end of the single desk and supply
management in the same term? I'll actually
believe this goring of the 2nd sacred cow when I
see it.

[Hopperbin]

Considering the buyout that would have to be made and the fact that the world could use our imports should we not be working towards just reducing the import duties gradually? Instead of offering a big buy out to farms already worth tens of millions we should be working with the Chinese to ensure that they are putting more money into our pockets first.

[hobbyfrmr]

If I were a supply managed commodity producer, I
would strongly consider putting the place and
quota up for sale. Usually government buyouts
are seldom much reward. The crow rate is an
example. It will take time and much resistance
from the producers. I regard this as a shot across
the bow.

[rockpile]

This is political dynamite - Quebec dairy farmers
will be very angry and separatists will rejoice!
Perhaps Ritz will get a milk bath like Whelan did 35
years ago or so. One thing I don't understand is why
non supply managed guys are so envious of supply
management's success keeping in mind that they
have received fair value for production without
subsidies. Lower prices in the grocery store - highly
unlikely, we pay more for everything in Canada. The
only outcome will be cheese from China (probably
with lead in it), butter and chickens from India (like
the canned pickles and tomatoes we now get) and
subsidized eggs and milk from the USA. I confess, I
am buying more and more food from the Parsley
types either direct or at Farmer's Markets.

[burnt]

It appears from these comments that there are no western dairy of poultry farmers!

Either that or they are actually out earning their living . . .

[Happytrails]

To rockpile re why non supply managed producers oppose that system. Some of us resent the government telling us what we can or cannot grow and sell. And they can use force of arms if necessary to keep you from supplying the particular foods. Besides that some of us are more trusting of market forces than bureaucrats. Etc, etc, we all have a right to an opinion.

[rockpile]

Happytrails - you overlook two things: 1. that
supply management sectors govern their own
management and 2. they have complete and
unconditional support from their members. They
came from an environment of uncertainty to form
supply management to get out of an unsustainable
rut - especially dairy. Your conception of unfettered
free enterprise in a global economy is
commendable but unrealistic. Production quotas
may have an unbelievably high value, but at the end
of the day, does not the market place determine
that? Kinda of like complaining about the high cost
of land, don't you think?

[parsley]

'Govern their own management"

You have to be bloody kidding.

Supply management stickupartists in Canada
demand that LAWS be passed in Parliaments or
legislatures to throw folks like me in jail if I dont
comply with the want-list of supply-managed
members.

Their want list is simpy more money, with no
competition and no hassle from onlookers

Their threat is jail and fines and raiding folks like
me.

Yup. Fine- folks Yup Pars

[Kodiak]

rockpile- you overlook two things: 1. that supply management sectors govern their own management from the privileged position of a legislated monopolistic pricing scheme and government protection with tariffs in the 200% plus category. And 2. they have complete and unconditional support from their members because of the profits derived from this exclusive privilege, and from the protection from competition it affords them . That’s hardly surprising. Insiders benefit. Outsiders pay. It’s called a consumer subsidy, but the only reason those consumers pay the subsidy, is because they are forced to. Acting rationally in a free market, they would not.
And yes, quota prices are extremely high, but you overlook the facts above. It is the price outsiders are willing to pay for the privilege of being an insider, or the price current insiders are willing to pay for yet more privilege.
The price of protection in the underworld where monopolies are highly desirable due to the profits they derive is also high. Quota is just another word for exclusivity. Mafia bosses and drug lords love their privileges and are willing to pay very high prices to protect their “quota”. No matter where it occurs, privilege has its benefits, but it always and inevitably comes at a cost. We may be witnessing the first shots in yet another war on privilege.

[rockpile]

So, Parsley and Kodiak - are you in a race to the
bottom? Most other industrial ventures use whatever
tools are available to succeed. And they are quite
successful. At the end of the day - you have the right
to fail. Gawd, I luv stirring shit!!! In the end - sniff,
sniff - penis envy... Seems nobody likes a winner
anymore. I will boldly make a prediction for the future
of farming in Western Canada in 10 or 20 years: widely
diversified, 100,000 hectares in size or more. Fits so
perfectly with todays thinking, don't cha think?