Lets name all the farm groups......

[Misterjade9]

Is that what they need to be doing though and is it good value for money? Generic advertising of beef in rural areas of the domestic marketplace? I don't have the current figures in Canada but the beef sector in the US is an absolute bloodbath by all accounts and I fully expect that to carryover into Canada this fall given how the two markets are so integrated. Packer margins are at an all time high ($6-700/animal) while the % of retail dollar coming back to beef producers is going to hit an all time low this year, surpassing last year's woeful low by quite a margin.

Maybe, maybe not at least it is something. We are in an time, whether right or wrong of mass climate change hysteria, inept governments and and inaccurate information regarding our chemical use. (Take that Austranda) So what are our producer groups, who have our checkoff dollars doing to inform Joe Q public about what we have done and continue to do as both animal and commodity producers that better the environment and continue to provide a cheap safe food source? The answer to that is simple SFA (and I don't mean Saskfarmer). I still maintain we need a single entity similar to the the American Farm Bureau to lobby on behalf of all of us.

[grassfarmer]

Maybe, maybe not at least it is something. We are in an time, whether right or wrong of mass climate change hysteria, inept governments and and inaccurate information regarding our chemical use. (Take that Austranda) So what are our producer groups, who have our checkoff dollars doing to inform Joe Q public about what we have done and continue to do as both animal and commodity producers that better the environment and continue to provide a cheap safe food source? The answer to that is simple SFA (and I don't mean Saskfarmer). I still maintain we need a single entity similar to the the American Farm Bureau to lobby on behalf of all of us.

I don't know Misterjade, it seems there is a lack of common consensus over the role of our "farm groups".
On one hand farm groups (system A) can use their funds (usually checkoff $s) for generic promotion of the end product derived from the crop they are growing whether that be milk, canola, beef or barley. They can use it for making "feel good" promotional pieces to tell consumers the story of the product.

Or they can use their funds (system B) for political ends - lobbying and trying to persuade politicians to take action on their member's behalves to try and better the circumstances on their members farms.

I dislike A but support B. I've never understood how primary producers got conned into supplying almost all the promotional dollars for the end product through levy funding. Why the rancher or feedlot owner pays almost the total cost of generic beef advertising when they only surrender live cattle to the packing sector. We don't sell beef we sell live cattle. Do steel manufacturers pay the advertising budget for Ford motor company - then why should we? I am increasingly dubious of the value of "feel good" promotions - I think they are to distract you from the fact the organization is not doing the real work
they should be doing.

I prefer the B approach - pay a membership to a political organization whose policy is based first and foremost on improving net returns for their member's operations.

[NoBS]

I see APAS has posted their federal election asks.
www.apas.ca

[Oliver88]

I see APAS has posted their federal election asks.
www.apas.ca

Interesting
Good idea for a national mandate for 10% ethanol and 5% biodiesel should be a slam dunk with all parties and will consume wheat and canola in Canada.....even Climate Barbie and a drunk Elizabeth May can’t argue against that. 👍🏻
-MFP style payment due to trade disruptions.