Feed grain

[jethro456]

Breadwinner, dont you think there are many feedlots
in the situation as you. Many are feedlot/grain
farms and when losing money on cattle, the grain
side keeps them out of a payment position. The only
farms around here that have been sold because of
financial issues in the last 5 years have been
feedlots.

[BreadWinner]

Yes, allot of mixed operations are in trouble because programs are not designed to help when half your business is loosing money. If want to diversify best to start a whole different company so if you loose money you still qualify for help.

[ASRG]

riders: I haven't been in a packing plant for a long time but at Cargill, High River around 1995 the company had an onsite lab to test for various things. I assume XL probably is the same.

We had regional plants. They all went broke....why would it be any different if we did it again?
Economy of scale actually works in the beef packing sector.

At the end of the day every business has to make a dollar....otherwise why do it? There is no reason anyone can't start up a packing plant? Why isn't that happening....because there is no money in it! They simply could never compete with the likes of Cargill and XL. Ranchers Choice in Rockyview county tried....they went belly up within 6 months....a brand new state of the art mid sized plant!

XL may very well close their doors after the financial hit they have taken. Love them or hate them, Brian and Lee Nilsson know how to make a buck and they won't lose their shirts to keep the cattle business going.

[hobbyfrmr]

Did anyone sell their feed barley for profit straight off the combine? Or, are barley producers caught in this XL foods/feedlot/producer crunch with unpriced barley waiting for higher prices?

[ASRG]

In my case it's sitting in the bin. I don't actually farm anymore, just do the one third crop share thing with my renter. I own my one third and get paid seperately, when he sells it.
He makes all the marketing decisions and usually holds until late winter or even summer when the price is higher. He is pretty good at what he does and it sure works for me (and has for over 22 years now).

[GreenValley]

Thought how about hemp, somewhere in
Camrose raise it. Mostly in Manitoba,
any in Sask?

[errolanderson]

hobbyfrmr . . . growers are incredibly
bullish barley, they don't need the cash
and they are waiting for the new tax
year to sell. It's got nothing to do
with XL. This is keeping the barley
price up right now despite weakness in
the U.S. corn market.

Once barley starts to flow to market in
the new year, expect feed bids to
potentially soften at that time.

[hobbyfrmr]

ASRG,
There is a hemp trade show in Edmonton, on
November 5&6.
If you are interested in growing hemp for seed
and/or fibre this would be worth attending.
Hemp is regulated by health Canada so be
prepared to do a criminal record check for
yourself and/or your producer.

www.hemptrade.ca