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Calling all Canadians !!!!!!! Please read.

hillsdown

Well-known member
This was brought to my attention by someone very well respected on here and I needed to share it with all of you, also if it is happening here it is happening in the U.S. as well.
For your viewing pleasure - it is a video on food imports into Canada - very well done by - of all companies - Hellman's

http://www.vimeo.com/5236966

Please take a moment to watch this video ,it is a real eye opener. I had no idea of just how much we import of foods that we produce ourselves . Red meat imports have gone up 600% (I think that's what they said) when we are a country abundant with pork and beef. I try to buy Canadian but sometimes it is not an option; we need to pressure our grocers and demand more Canadian products. Ask them where your food is coming from, especially beef, pork and chicken and refuse to buy anything other than fresh Canadian products. Can you believe we import cucumbers and tomatoes.. :???:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Yep-- the reason I've said all along both countries need Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling- so the consumers will have the ability to choose in the first place--- and then have a major portion of our cattle tax (Beef Checkoff) used to advertise and promote our domestic product---not generic beef from all over the world....
 

hillsdown

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Yep-- the reason I've said all along both countries need Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling- so the consumers will have the ability to choose in the first place--- and then have a major portion of our cattle tax (Beef Checkoff) used to advertise and promote our domestic product---not generic beef from all over the world....


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That is not going to help or make a difference OT. We need to put a limit on the percentage that our counties can import and make the consumer buy Canadian or in your case American. Trading between Canada and the US will keep both countries healthy, as we have the same economies. BUT it is the cheap @ss imports from South America, Mexico, china etc that are killing us and all we are doing is making them richer while destroying our industries.

Imports are needed yes but not when the superior product is being produced in your own dam country.

If we do not take control we will be at the mercy of the the big boys and will have no say in what price they will charge us for food as there will be no domestic producers left.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
hillsdown said:
Oldtimer said:
Yep-- the reason I've said all along both countries need Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling- so the consumers will have the ability to choose in the first place--- and then have a major portion of our cattle tax (Beef Checkoff) used to advertise and promote our domestic product---not generic beef from all over the world....


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That is not going to help or make a difference OT. We need to put a limit on the percentage that our counties can import and make the consumer buy Canadian or in your case American. Trading between Canada and the US will keep both countries healthy, as we have the same economies. BUT it is the cheap @ss imports from South America, Mexico, china etc that are killing us and all we are doing is making them richer while destroying our industries.

Imports are needed yes but not when the superior product is being produced in your own dam country.

If we do not take control we will be at the mercy of the the big boys and will have no say in what price they will charge us for food as there will be no domestic producers left.

You don't think our beef/meat/food imports don't come from those same countries as was listed there in the video :???:

You start limiting imports- or putting on tariffs- you have WTO down your neck....Or should all the FTA's be thrown out too?

Do you think COOL is only because of or effects Canadian cattle/beef? It also identifies the imports from all those countries that were in the video that also come into the US- plus the 40+ other countries beef is imported from...
And if Canada had it- the Canadian consumer would be able to see they are buying Uruguayan, or Mexican or wherever....Or see where their produce was grown....

Nope-- require the products origin be labeled- give the consumers the ability to choose- and then you have the ability to go out and promote "that" product... Your countries product--- not a generic one from anywhere....

And guess who has been the number 1 opposed to M-COOL- the Big Guys- that you talk of- the Big Packers--- that want the ability to access food from any cheap source in the world and try to pass it off as Domestic (Canadian or US) product....
 

hillsdown

Well-known member
I think it has more to do with the stupid consumer and the fact they do not care or know where their product come from as long as they are cheap . Nor do they care that these countries have very little health safety regulations.

If you think the majority of the consumers out there are like you and me and everyone else on here you are wrong we are the very very minority.

Canada has labeling forever on fresh fruits and veggies ,canned and frozen goods as well as the meet will say product of Western Canada or product of US or Brazil or Columbia. What if grocers do not ensure that they are there for their consumers to buy ,what are you going to do. What can you do if every store you go to only carries imports and not fresh domestics foods. What if that happens all over Canada and the US ,then what will you do as an Ag producer ,your industry will be gone by then.

The consumer will be at the mercy of the import market and that is scary when they can contro your food supply.

If more people demanded domestic, the import market would go down, because it could not sustain itself. Also we are not third wold countries where most of the fresh fruit and vegetables are imported from, we have the highest standards and food safety in the world. That should be enough right there to limit imports.
 

leanin' H

Well-known member
I totally agree! The ONLY thing the majority of shoppers look at is...... PRICE! It takes recalls and recalls and recalls until some get fed up and look for quality instead of cheap! As an industry, we have to speak up more to get the assc. who are supposed to represent us to lead like we tell them. And too many of us don't get involved at even local levels to change things! Why in the world would Canada or the U.S. EVER import beef?

PRICE!

And folks get exactly what they pay for!
 

burnt

Well-known member
A perfect case in point - we raise a few roasting chickens every year for a fairly steady list of customers. This week, before we had the birds butchered and packaged, we called our regular customers to confirm orders.

One response summarized it all "No, we don't want any this year. But what is the price"?

I told her the price, "Same as last year, $2.35/lb". She replied "Oh, no! I got a freezer full at Food Basics for 99 cents a lb."

:mad: :mad: :mad:
 

Just Ranchin

Well-known member
I am all for food safety, but when the consumer decision comes down to price, it is really hard to compete with other countries. I would love to see what the regulatory costs are for every beef animal processed in Canada. Unless it helps us gain access to more markets (ones we had pre 2003) then it simply puts us at a disadvantage in the world market. The last stat I heard was simple SRM removal costs the Canadian cattleman between $50-$55/head!![/quote]
 

Kato

Well-known member
With my lightning fast dial up internet, I don't think I've got the patience to watch a video. :roll: :roll: :roll: I'm pretty sure I have a good idea what's in it though.

There's actually more to this Hellman's thing than just imports. They have launched a full scale campaign to promote local food, and real food.
http://www.eatrealeatlocal.ca/

Here's a link to a blog that describes the campaign. It describes it pretty well.

http://ugonnaeatthat.com/2009/05/26/eat-real-eat-local/

The premise is that if local, meaning not just nearby, but also Canadian agriculture in general is not supported, then local agriculture will eventually cease to exist, and the country will lose it's food security. I for one am grateful that they have tried to bring this to public attention because it's so true.

Burnt, was it just one person who pulled the "I can get it cheaper" stunt? If so, I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Once they start eating that other chicken, they'll look back fondly on your home raised birds that taste like chicken is supposed to. 8) Betcha they come back next year. I was at a direct marketing conference this year and they told us that if you go through a market and no one complains about the price, then you're not charging enough. In any group of people there are a certain number of cheapskates, and you need to charge enough to bring them out of the woodwork, because if they're happy with your price you're not charging enough. :D
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Well- you can not even start trying to promote your product- or market it- until you can identify it from the others... So without labeling (and mandatory labeling so Packers/retailers can't pass off cheaper imported products as domestic, like they have for years) you will never get consumers to buy domestic product...
 

Grassfarmer

Well-known member
Must say I disagree with most of the posts on this one. How much difference does it make if everyone in Canada eats Canadian or everyone in the US eats American? If it's all a product of large scale industrial agriculture, processing and distribution (which it largely is) whats the difference? I guess a Tyson chicken tastes much the same in both countries and leaves the person who reared it scratching for a living if you'll pardon the pun.
I'm all for Canadians eating local, healthy food but think that this business has to be built by producers like myself getting off our [email protected]#$% and creating, rearing and marketing a superior product that consumers want to buy. We have no problems finding eager buyers for our grass-fed beef and pasture pork and price is never an issue. I don't think it is fair to brand all consumers dumb or cheap. To blame them for causing us to be poor is throwing the baby out with the bathwater - try looking at the processors, retailers and importer/exporters and their margins.
The Hellmans campaign is a bit of a joke as far as I'm concerned. They are part of Unilever which had revenues in 2008 of $40.5 billion dollars all from food manufacturing and distributing. Sure they are real keen on helping out farmer Joe with his roadside stand selling home grown vegetables - not! This is nothing more than political correctness in my opinion trying to cash in on buzz words of the day like local, green, ethical, real food. If their intentions are so honorable why don't they post a list of local direct marketers on their website? Even a list of their own suppliers which I doubt are all either local or Canadian? I'm willing to bet websites like Jo Robinson's Eatwild.com do more to unite local producers and consumers and build demand in a day than Unilever or any of the other big corporations will in a decade.
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
Grassfarmer said:
Must say I disagree with most of the posts on this one. How much difference does it make if everyone in Canada eats Canadian or everyone in the US eats American? If it's all a product of large scale industrial agriculture, processing and distribution (which it largely is) whats the difference? I guess a Tyson chicken tastes much the same in both countries and leaves the person who reared it scratching for a living if you'll pardon the pun.
I'm all for Canadians eating local, healthy food but think that this business has to be built by producers like myself getting off our [email protected]#$% and creating, rearing and marketing a superior product that consumers want to buy. We have no problems finding eager buyers for our grass-fed beef and pasture pork and price is never an issue. I don't think it is fair to brand all consumers dumb or cheap. To blame them for causing us to be poor is throwing the baby out with the bathwater - try looking at the processors, retailers and importer/exporters and their margins.
The Hellmans campaign is a bit of a joke as far as I'm concerned. They are part of Unilever which had revenues in 2008 of $40.5 billion dollars all from food manufacturing and distributing. Sure they are real keen on helping out farmer Joe with his roadside stand selling home grown vegetables - not! This is nothing more than political correctness in my opinion trying to cash in on buzz words of the day like local, green, ethical, real food. If their intentions are so honorable why don't they post a list of local direct marketers on their website? Even a list of their own suppliers which I doubt are all either local or Canadian? I'm willing to bet websites like Jo Robinson's Eatwild.com do more to unite local producers and consumers and build demand in a day than Unilever or any of the other big corporations will in a decade.

Actually I will disagree with you - in fact I believe you are being quite short sited. Your cynical view rather than pragmatic view (I have been known to do the same at times) is a bit disappointing as you appear to have chosen to not believe a company like this might actually be ON OUR SIDE.

I will also state I believe this video was produced for one reason -

1. Inform people that we are importing food as we cannot fed ourselves any more.

With foreign countries creating the ability to grow and CONTROL food we have to sit up and take notice.

Personally I give a damn most of the time if I eat Yankee food or Canuck food - despite OT

But ....

Trade between us and the US is simply a small piece of the puzzle - China is the power house and she is working diligently to gain control of the world food markets - and doing quite well I might add. China and Saudi Arabia control vast - country sized - areas of agricultural land around the world - especially in Africa - and are slowly bringing it on line.

Canada and the United States can no longer feed themselvs and the stores would be out of food in a couple of weeks or less with the "just in time" delivery system in place today

Heads are in the sand on this one because many - if not most - pooh pooh the idea that food could be at risk - or they tend to look inward at their own situation - when they need to look at downtown Los Angeles, New York or Toronto or Montreal, or Mexico City or Paris or London and ask - "What happens when the food runs out?"

When a country cannot feed itself it no longer has the ability to determine its future - and IT WILL pay the price when food costs are increased.

It is a strategic weapon of vast importance - the Chinese do not think on a ten year scale - they think generationally - you and I tend (on average) to think annually.

Food production and food saftey are two issues that are low on the totem pole but both could move up rapidly with the stoppage of imports - and war can do that.

Ask the Brits what it was like in WWII

BC
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
guest1 said:
OT do you have any Canuck combiners come through your area? We have two outfits come through here and they run brand new JD's and all new Pete semis. s*** must be real bad up there huh?

Actually that is why the boys lease new outfits and come down south - your ag programs and subsidies far outweigh those of Canada - the Dakotas and Nebraska combined - get more than all of Canada gives to the entire country in ag money if memory serves me correctly - you can afford to pay - and if you do - the customer - the custom combiner - will come.

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/region.php?fips=38000

You have effectively hijacked the topic

BC
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
guest1 said:
OT do you have any Canuck combiners come through your area? We have two outfits come through here and they run brand new JD's and all new Pete semis. s*** must be real bad up there huh?


Were they paid for?

As a guy who used to be the sales manager at Berwyn Sales many years ago - a large CaseIH dealership - I can assure you they were leased machines for the most part.

BC
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
guest1 said:
Broke Cowboy said:
Grassfarmer said:
Must say I disagree with most of the posts on this one. How much difference does it make if everyone in Canada eats Canadian or everyone in the US eats American? If it's all a product of large scale industrial agriculture, processing and distribution (which it largely is) whats the difference? I guess a Tyson chicken tastes much the same in both countries and leaves the person who reared it scratching for a living if you'll pardon the pun.
I'm all for Canadians eating local, healthy food but think that this business has to be built by producers like myself getting off our [email protected]#$% and creating, rearing and marketing a superior product that consumers want to buy. We have no problems finding eager buyers for our grass-fed beef and pasture pork and price is never an issue. I don't think it is fair to brand all consumers dumb or cheap. To blame them for causing us to be poor is throwing the baby out with the bathwater - try looking at the processors, retailers and importer/exporters and their margins.
The Hellmans campaign is a bit of a joke as far as I'm concerned. They are part of Unilever which had revenues in 2008 of $40.5 billion dollars all from food manufacturing and distributing. Sure they are real keen on helping out farmer Joe with his roadside stand selling home grown vegetables - not! This is nothing more than political correctness in my opinion trying to cash in on buzz words of the day like local, green, ethical, real food. If their intentions are so honorable why don't they post a list of local direct marketers on their website? Even a list of their own suppliers which I doubt are all either local or Canadian? I'm willing to bet websites like Jo Robinson's Eatwild.com do more to unite local producers and consumers and build demand in a day than Unilever or any of the other big corporations will in a decade.

Actually I will disagree woth you - in fact I believe you are being quite short sited

With foreign countries creating the ability to grow and CONTROL food we have to sit up and take notice.

Trade between us and the US is simply a small piece of the puzzle - China is the power house and she is working diligently to gain =control of the world food markets - and doing quite well I might add.

Canada and the United States can no longer feed themselvs and the stores would be out of food in a couple of weeks or less with the "just in time" delivery system in place today

When a country cannot feed itself it no longer has the ability to determine its future - and IT WILL pay the price when food costs are increased.

It is a strategic weapon of vast importance - the Chinese do not thing on a ten year scale - they think generationally - you and I tend to think annually.

Food production and food saftey are two issues that are low on the totem pole but both could move up rapidly with the stoppage of imports - and war can do that.

BC
So canada must be really screwed in the fact that they can neither feed or defend themselves.

As much as I hate to admit it - you have hit the nail on the head - however, you too would be in serious trouble if food imports stopped - you no longer have the ability to feed your masses either

If your budget keeps going the way you are going you will not be able to support your military either.

Another effective hijack

BC
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
guest1 said:
must be, you never seen a canuck outfit come down here with less than new petes with aluminum boxes and new JD combines. The money they get paid doesn't stay here. You wanna talk about illegal immigrants.

I can assure you it is all legal - as are your folks when they come here to work on the Canadian oil fields and in the Canadian drilling sector and the Canadian pipeline sector.

Another effective hijack

I will step out of this one as the folks here today seem to be ready to fight over side issues that none of us at our level have any control over and not talk about the topic

BC
 

Frisco

Well-known member
I agree with Grassfarmer in that we producers need to get control of OUR product and market OUR product. We have been doing it the old way for so long now that it is hard to wrap our heads around that we could sell our own beef (or pork or chicken...). I think it is safe to say that all of our roots in this business started with selling our meat to places like Chicago and those packers. What has changed since the turn of the century, really? I am just as guilty, but I want to get control.

I'm afraid it is going to take more than lip service to get us out of our ruts. We sure as hell can't count on the federal governments to do it for us.
 

Kato

Well-known member
Agriculture has gotten to the point that the final cost of food is only high enough to support some but not all links in the chain between the field and the kitchen.

The question is what goes? Who is the middleman that steps back out of the picture?

The big corporations view us as the middlemen that must go. They want to control the whole process from the birth of the animal to the final product, and they are doing it by forcing vertical integration wherever possible. Ask an American poultry producer about that, and how much fun that is.

The other option is for us to consider the processors as the middlemen and go straight to the consumer. This is big business's worst nightmare, and you better believe they will use all their clout and resources to highjack that process wherever possible. They have friends in high places, and they will use them.

I think we're at a turning point, and it's up to us which way it goes in the future. As long as our governments keep doing what they can to keep food cheap, and to keep it as a low priority item, we will continue to be squeezed out until something gives.
 

Grassfarmer

Well-known member
Broke Cowboy said:
Your cynical view rather than pragmatic view (I have been known to do the same at times) is a bit disappointing as you appear to have chosen to not believe a company like this might actually be ON OUR SIDE.
BC - I'll believe it when I see it. History does not show any huge scale corporation involved in food production or retailing that has willingly helped small scale competitors compete against them - why would they?

Broke Cowboy said:
1. Inform people that we are importing food as we cannot fed ourselves any more.

With foreign countries creating the ability to grow and CONTROL food we have to sit up and take notice.

Canada and the United States can no longer feed themselvs and the stores would be out of food in a couple of weeks or less with the "just in time" delivery system in place today

The point I was trying to make was I don't think foreign countries are any more dangerous than the domestic homegrown food corporations in this issue. Both Canada and the US could feed themselves handsomely if they had to - certainly a way better than China is able to feed itself. US based corporations already CONTROL the food in much of the world and very few people seemed concerned. I think food security is a huge issue - the masses don't as yet. It is part and parcel of the "global marketplace" which in reality provides nothing but a means to earn income for corporate agriculture to ship product around the world and in the process undermine farm gate prices in the country they ship to. My parents lived through WWII in Britain and know something of the issues - probably rather less though than the citizens of the occupied countries like Poland and Holland.
 
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