Cool

[Sandhusker]

I don't have to tract it back to the producer to know where it was born, I only have to trace to the packer. I thought we already had that figure out.

 

[Anonymous]

Tracking the cattle has nothing to do with tracking the beef. The tracking of the beef has to be connected to the tracking of the cattle in order to be enforceable.

You don't have anything figured out. Just your simplistic solutions to complex problems. If the solutions were as simple as you WANT TO BELIEVE, there wouldn't be a problem from USDA's standpoint or the packer's and retailers standpoint.

The "CAN - MEX - USA" designation on the beef labels are a direct result of R-CALF type ignorance of the beef fabrication process.


~SH~

 

[Sandhusker]

SH, "Tracking the cattle has nothing to do with tracking the beef."

Then why are you insisting that the cattle be tracked way past the point where they can already be identified?

The packers can seperate beef from cattle by country of origin, it's mainly an issue of scheduling the slaughter. They're already doing it for the Korean trade. THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT!

They do it for Korea because it's in the best interests of their pocketbook. Their pocketbook is also the reason they're fighting COOL and making lame-ash arguements that you're buying. It's not because it's going to cost them so much to comply, it's because it's going to cost them on the purchasing end of the business because this jeopardizes their plan to be able to buy beef from the cheapest supplier in the world while still selling it for all they can.

They don't want consumers buying beef on a country label, they want consumers buying beef on a company label. When that happens, US producers will be forced to compete on price alone with producers in South America who can sell their cattle and make a profit at prices under our cost of production. That means that our industry will be done dealing. Is that what you want?

 

[Anonymous]

Sandhusker: "Then why are you insisting that the cattle be tracked way past the point where they can already be identified?"

I'm not insisting on it, you are. You are the ones who insisted that before any beef can receive the US label it has to be born in the US. You are also the ones who do not trust the packer to label beef accurately. To accompany both concerns requires tracking all the beef back to it's birth place or anyone can claim any beef origination. If it was as simple as you want others to believe, we wouldn't have the "CAN - MEX - USA" labels on ground beef. They would know exactly where it originated.

Explain that Sandhusker.

Why do we have the "CAN - MEX - USA" labels on ground beef if this beef can be traced as easily as you claim?

Sandhusker: "The packers can seperate beef from cattle by country of origin, it's mainly an issue of scheduling the slaughter. They're already doing it for the Korean trade. THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT!"

Oh listen to you. I'll bet you've never been in a beef fabrication or packing plant larger than your local locker plant have you?

Scheduling cattle for slaughter and tracking that beef to it's origin is not as easy as you make it seem. There is a lot of beef that is repackaged at the retail level which has to be tracked to origin in an enforceable manner.

Sandhusker: "They don't want consumers buying beef on a country label, they want consumers buying beef on a company label."

How do you explain the fact that packers are already selling source verified branded beef products if they don't want to sell on a country label?

Sandhusker: "When that happens, US producers will be forced to compete on price alone with producers in South America who can sell their cattle and make a profit at prices under our cost of production. That means that our industry will be done dealing. Is that what you want?"

What you and I want will be trumped by what consumers want. They outvote us by more than 98% to 2%. Consumers will want the most value they can get at the price they are willing to pay. You can cuss imports all you want but whether or not this country imports beef will be determined by the consumers that outvote us.


~SH~

 

[Cinch]

Isn't it amazing that the COOL is already in place and working and SH is telling us how it will not work.

SH, have you noticed the labels in the grocery stores? I studiously avoid "farm-raised' shrimp from (fill in with Asian nation's name).

I do the same for beef and pork. I do not buy it if it comes from Canada or Mexico. I know many others the same way.

And I don't complain if some people do buy that stuff I avoid. At least they're doing it with their eyes open.

 

[Sandhusker]

SH, "Why do we have the "CAN - MEX - USA" labels on ground beef if this beef can be traced as easily as you claim? "

Because we have the packers, who have the USDA in their pockets, coming up with the same lame-ash arguements that you are.

 

[Anonymous]

Cinch: "Isn't it amazing that the COOL is already in place and working and SH is telling us how it will not work."

Isn't it amazing how Cinch is telling us how "M"COOL is working while the bulk of "M"COOL proponents are complaining about the "CAN-MEX-USA" labels on ground beef that resulted when "M"COOL proponents were unwilling to prove the origination designation that they themselves demanded ("born, raised and processed in....")?

Yup, she's sure working Cinch!

"CAN-MEX-USA" labels on ground beef at the retail beef counter and 75% of the imported beef is exempt due to the food service exemption. Yup, she's shornuff working Cinch.

Cinch: "I do not buy it if it comes from Canada or Mexico. I know many others the same way."

Doesn't matter what you buy, what matters is what the highest percentage of consumers buy. Most consumers shop primarily based on price relative to value which is why WalMart is the big dog on the block despite shoppers who are loyal to domestic products.

Last I heard over 30% of our population was hispanic. Think they are going to shy away from Mexican beef?

"M"COOL was the classic "symbolism over substance" law and unfortunately, you will never realize how those mandated expenses are passed on in the form of lower cattle prices when there is no value added to offset the added costs.

"Don't consumers have a right to know where their beef comes from" you asked??? Obviously not, or you would have been willing to prove origination which you're not but then you do with brand inspection.

Hello walls!

Cinch: "And I don't complain if some people do buy that stuff I avoid. At least they're doing it with their eyes open."

Yup their eyes are now open to the fact that ground beef cannot be tracked to it's origination without a traceback system which resulted in the "CAN-MEX-USA" labels we see in our grocery stores and they're eyes our open to the fact that only 5% of imported beef that is sold at the retail level is imported beef because the bulk of imported beef was exempted through the food service exemption. They now have the choice between "CAN-MEX-USA" beef and US beef, and US beef, and US beef, and US beef, and US beef, and US beef, and source verified branded beef programs that were in place before "M"COOL and chicken.

Sure glad we saved consumers from themselves!

Sandhusker: "Because we have the packers, who have the USDA in their pockets, coming up with the same lame-ash arguements that you are."

Now there's a textbook canned R-CALF quote if I ever saw one.

Wrong again Sandhusker, you have those labels because you were unwilling to prove that which you demanded (proof of where these animals are "born, raised and processed").

Bwame USDA! There's always someone to blame for your shortsightedness isn't there??

Sure glad we have industry blamers to save consumers from themselves since they know more about the beef industry than those who actually process, fabricate, and sell beef.



~SH~