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[cakadu]

Cowman, you don't have to be all of those things - you can still do what you do best. What is different is that you find others you can work with that have the skills that you don't. Some are better at sales and should leave the growing to others and there is nothing wrong with that. The crux of the matter is that we have to get past the notion of doing it all and being independent. Sad fact is that we cannot do it all any longer.

There are glimmers of hope now where none existing 14 months ago. It is so heartening to see people coming together for the sake of a cause to try and generate solutions.

We need to become interdependent and realize that in numbers there is strength.

[dalek]

Cakadu, get this straight... the so-called "world market" for milk consists of New Zealand, and anyone else who happens to be over-producing in the short run and has milk to dump. New Zealand is the only country in the world who wants to compete internationally in any large way. There isn't a world market for milk because milk can't easily be shipped to other countries like grain or even meat. Notice that even with record prices in the US, others in the world aren't in a hurry to try shipping milk to the US because shipping costs eat up all the margins.

[cakadu]

Dalek, if you look at what I said it was world price, which is different from a world market. Of course you couldn't have a world market in something as perishable as fluid milk. We have oversupply in this country even with supply management in place. As you well know, you can't be over or under quota as there are penalties to be paid.

The USDA was one source of the information I have seen over the years and I was at a meeting in Washington D.C. where the USDA gave figures of milk production/profit on the countries that have been discussed.

Suffice it to say that it is unlikely that those on the inside of the system and those one the outside of the system, will ever see it in the same light.

[cowman]

The basic idea of matching supply and demand is a good one, however it is done, at least for the primary producer! Maybe not so good for the international mega corporation?
And we can vertically integrate all we want but if we have a glut on the market we will never get a profitable price?
Right now, in the cattle business, we are experiencing an over supply problem? Too many darned cows for Canadians to eat? If we'd bit the bullet and shot about one third of them last year we'd probably have our supply side of the equation just about right?
Trade problems, health problems...who is to blame? Well no one really...thats just how it is. However I will note our "elite" government decided it was okay to feed dead cows to live ones?
The government decided a mass cull wasn't in the picture! Too politically incorrect...we wouldn't want all the urbanites witnessing cows being shot afterall? Of course everyday thousands and thousands are shot, but it is done behind closed doors, so people don't have to face reality when they eat that Big Mac!
Also the government probably couldn't afford it, and so the farmer gets stuck with the bill when he shoots those 5 cent cows this fall! What else is new?
Eventually, one way or the other, a lot of cows have to go! This thing doesn't look like it will turn around anytime soon and the story is a lot of these cattle hitting the markets right now are the banks! Repossessed cattle! Farms soon to follow? The joys of over producing?