Oldtimer
Well-known member
This boy Cam gets an ATTA-BOY....A Canadian that can actually see what is happening, isn't afraid to speak the truth like most of the so called Canadian cattlemans groups leaders are, and doesn't blame it all on Americans or R-CALF-- and actually has the incentive to get off his duff and do something about it....
And an ATTA-BOY for our Sheri Monk for writing a very good article...
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
And an ATTA-BOY for our Sheri Monk for writing a very good article...
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Alberta cattle groups propose major change
By Sheri Monk
Published in the Maple Creek Advance Times - Canada
Jan. 8, 2008
Four of Alberta's most influential cattle organizations formed an
alliance to create a proposal that would change the landscape of the
cattle business in Canada.
The provincial government held a joint meeting with Alberta Cattle
Feeders Association, The Beef Initiative Group (BIG), Western Stock
Growers Association, Provincial Feeders Association of Alberta and the
Alberta Beef Producers. The five groups were told that they would
jointly have the ear of the government going forward to address
ongoing issues in the cattle industry. Each was asked to submit
proposals to identify and address the economic and policy stumbling
blocks of producers, feeders and finishers.
Spearheaded by the Beef Initiative Group (BIG), an agreement was
signed on Nov. 30, 2007 by all groups with the exception of the
Alberta Beef Producers, endorsing several new strategies to combat
industry difficulties.
The groups want a new and aggressive board to deal with trade policy
that any other cattle organizations will defer to on trade issues. The
new trade board's mandate is to grow non-NAFTA markets with the end
goal of a diversified marketplace in which to sell cattle and beef.
Also proposed was the reconstitution of Canada Beef Export Federation
(CBEF) and of Beef Information Centre (BIC) with a new mandate. The
agreement states that, "CBEF has been hamstrung by both industry
leadership and packer domination for too long. Current Canadian major
packers obviously favour the north-south trade."
The agreement proposes a producer-owned brokerage corporation that
would allow producers and feeders to retain ownership of the live
product through to the point of sale as beef.
The brokerage priorities would be re-establishing trade with non-NAFTA
countries and to uniquely brand Canadian beef to explore all foreign
markets. The groups want in on the value-added chain and support
partnerships with the feedlot sector. The agreement says inclusion in
the value-added market is essential, "We must be allowed to cease
selling cattle on the hoof at a discount and become marketers of
beef."
Cam Ostercamp is president of BIG and penned the initial agreement
that was later adjusted with help from the other three signing
parties. Ostercamp is a rancher from Blackie, Alta., and after BSE hit
Canada in 2003, became very vocal of flaws in the Canadian cattle
industry.
"In late 2003, I began asking all the cattle groups what their plan
was and quickly realized nobody had one. They were all wringing their
hats at the border and hoping Uncle Sam would come and save them,"
said Ostercamp.
In early 2004, he wrote an article about the Canadian cattle situation
called 'Behind the veil of silence' which was published in the
National Post, and BIG was formed shortly after. Ruffling the feathers
of industry groups, Ostercamp calls the cards as he sees them, "We
have been an industry in complete denial. We are being strangled by
these multi-national packers that have raped this industry for several
years now. I maintain that BSE was not really our problem, it was
simply the catalyst that made us deal with our problem which until now
we have never really dealt with. The industry has been so goddamned
scared to say or do anything to jeopardize that crystal meth market
we're addicted to in the south that they've allowed this situation to
happen," said Ostercamp.
Of the current trend in the cattle business, the BIG president says
that shrinking the mother herd is inevitable, but access to the
value-added market will minimize the shrinkage. "We're shrinking now,
we're losing producers and we're going to keep losing them but we must
try to save what we can," added Ostercamp.
BIG believes that if voluntary BSE testing were available many markets
would open to Canadian beef. "It is glaringly and undeniably obvious
that Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in the last four years has
not done anything but parrot the dictates of the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA). Half of our main platform is the
producer's inherent right to BSE tests to gain market access. The CFIA
is overlooking a huge opportunity," lamented Ostercamp. "Of all the
countries that have dealt with BSE, Canada and the U.S. are the only
ones that didn't begin BSE testing every cow."
Ostercamp is optimistic and feels that if his provincial government
will support the agreement, Alberta will flex its cattle muscles and
lead the way to seriously change the cattle business for the benefit
of all producers in Canada.
maplecreeknews.com
