Hay Oldtimer -- I got my cheque

[cowzilla]

Yea :!: But the great part is that they are going to lend MORE MONEY to all these producers that can't afford to pay back the last loans :? OT read the fine print these are BILLIONS availiable in the form of LOANS. That was stated in the press release by AG MINISTER RITZ. Did most of the American Journalists miss that part? I'm sure several American banks lent BILLIONS of Dollars last year and will again this year.

 

[Tex]

Yea :!: But the great part is that they are going to lend MORE MONEY to all these producers that can't afford to pay back the last loans :? OT read the fine print these are BILLIONS availiable in the form of LOANS. That was stated in the press release by AG MINISTER RITZ. Did most of the American Journalists miss that part? I'm sure several American banks lent BILLIONS of Dollars last year and will again this year.

If you are deep in debt, you will have to keep producing as long as you can pay your loans, never mind how little you make on your return on assets or labor.

Looks like your government is substituting packer policy for a real safe beef export policy that Japan and other international buyers may want.

 

[Anonymous]

OT read the fine print these are BILLIONS availiable in the form of LOANS. That was stated in the press release by AG MINISTER RITZ. Did most of the American Journalists miss that part? .

Cowzilla---Looks to me like the press release and whoever wrote this article up originally in Canada, put out the impression that their was a lot of aid money, too- namely $1.5 Billion in support programs- and $38,500 for the average cattle producer and $185,500 to the average hog producer.....

Now read this-- and tell me if you're Joe Blow, man on the street, that it doesn't look like the beef/hog producer is getting a fat paycheck....

Canada gives aid to cattle and hog farmers


By Roberta Rampton

Reuters Canada

Fri Dec 14, 2007



WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canadian cattle and hog farmers, struggling with high feed costs and low prices, will have access to a total of C$3.8 billion ($3.73 billion) in loans and aid early in 2008, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said on Friday.



Federal and provincial governments will provide C$2.3 billion in secured loan guarantees to the livestock sector, including C$1 billion in new credit, Ritz told reporters.



Loans will be capped at C$400,000 per producer, and the first C$100,000 will be interest-free, he said.



In addition, governments will accelerate access to C$1.5 billion in support programs, Ritz said.


Ritz said the programs will help livestock farmers weather poor returns brought on by record grain prices, poor meat prices, and the surging Canadian dollar, which has hurt the export value of meat and livestock.



"We've seen these peaks and valleys before; they've struggled through. It's a matter of the government giving them the help at the time," he said.



Ritz said the aid, which will be delivered through existing government programs, would comply with Canada's trade agreements, and he said he discussed them on Thursday with Chuck Conner, the acting U.S. agriculture secretary.



Livestock groups have been lobbying governments for weeks for help to cover mounting losses.



"At first blush, it sounds like the kind of things we've been asking for, and we're very happy that the federal government will step up to the plate," said Hugh Staunton-Lynch, president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.



Ritz projected the programs would give a 400-head cow-calf farmer aid payments of C$38,500 and loans of up to C$116,000. A 500-sow hog farmer could receive C$185,500 in aid payments and loans up to C$250,000, he said.



Ritz said governments were not able to comply with a request from hog farmers for C$1.5 billion in unsecured loans.



"There's really no way to do that at any government level. We have little things called treasury boards and auditors general that take a dim view, and of course (unsecured loans) are completely trade-challengeable," Ritz said.



The Canadian Pork Council was slated to meet to discuss the aid announcement on Monday. "We suspect it's just a reannouncement of current programs," said Clare Schlegel, the group's president, adding he hoped the government would reconsider the request for a bigger loans package.



"Our farmers are in real distress here. It's been such a severe situation," Schlegel said.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Just out of curiosity OT, why do you care? Do you think you're some great saviour of the north, pointing out all our errors (as you see them) to us? Are you trying to pretend that US producers don't get subsidy and support payments?

Rod

 

[Anonymous]

Just out of curiosity OT, why do you care? Do you think you're some great saviour of the north, pointing out all our errors (as you see them) to us? Are you trying to pretend that US producers don't get subsidy and support payments?

Rod

The US cattleman has absolutely gotten no subsidy over BSE- even when the Canadian cow in Washington and Ms Vennamans bungling cost the industry Billions of $.....

I guess I really don't care what the Canadian rancher does- except where it affects us-- I would like to see them go out and get new programs and markets and quit trying so hard to go back to the status quo of riding on the US cattlemans shirttails- and now with their higher risk product further depressing our markets...

If the Billions $ in aid/loans that your government has/is spending were used for testing ALL , rather than short range prop up actions, Canada could have developed these other markets- wouldn't be depressing the US market, and Canadians wouldn't have to be sucking the hind teat of the US again while groveling at the government trough too...

If the situation up there is that bad-- that everyone is needing loans and bailout payments to keep operating- then it looks to me like its time to change the system...

It seems to me there are only a few north of the 49th that are visionary enough to see this--like ol Kaiser- but that most Canadian producers just want to wait around for the return of the old status quo of pre-2003.... :roll: