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International Ranch advocates blame NAFTA

Grassfarmer

Well-known member
Here is a press release from the Canadian NFU.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 19, 2009

CANADIAN NFU COMMENTS ON R-CALF AND INTERNATIONAL MEETING

Canada’s National Farmers Union is not working with the US cattle organization R-CALF, we have no plans to do so in the future, and we have no agreements to collaborate with R-CALF on any initiative. Until NFU officials first met R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard at a 14-organization, international meeting in Billings, Montana last week, no one from the NFU had ever spoken to him. Thus, we are surprised to see media commentators linking the NFU to an organization that we have never worked with and rarely, if ever, communicated with. To make such links is to mislead farmers.

The NFU strongly defends Canada’s Wheat Board and the interests of cattle producers. Thus, the NFU has profound disagreements with R-CALF in its attacks on the CWB (1999) and on cattle farmers’ interests—especially R-CALF’s courtroom attempts to keep the Canada-US border closed to cattle following the discovery of BSE (2003 to present).

The NFU does acknowledge that R-CALF has done very effective work in drawing attention to the damaging power of large meatpacking corporations in North America and in educating farmers about packer ownership of cattle (captive supply).

“On many issues—on analysis as well as tactics—the NFU vehemently disagrees with R-CALF and will continue to do so. But in order to resolve pressing problems within the North American cattle sector, we are willing to listen to the positions of a broad range of organizations to understand their analysis of packer power and corporate concentration,” said NFU Board member Neil Peacock.

Incorrect inferences about a connection between R-CALF and the NFU flow from an R-CALF news release that included statements by NFU members. What is missing from media reports is the context of those statements: R-CALF’s work on captive supply, the takeover of North American packers by JBS corporation, and anti-trust actions against large packers. The last sentence of the R-CALF release provides that context, saying: “We were pleased to learn that Canadian producers support R-CALF’s efforts to prevent further concentration in the meatpacking industry and to eliminate anticompetitive cattle procurement practices going on in each of our countries. We look forward to sharing information with Canadian producers that will help both Canada and the U.S. restore competition for all cattle farmers and ranchers.”

Since the NFU released its groundbreaking report on the cattle price crisis in November, our organization has had tremendous success helping farmers, policymakers, and journalists come to understand that cattle farmers are making too little because packers and retailers are taking too much. Many in the established order find themselves threatened by the NFU’s disclosures about who’s taking the profits in the cattle and beef sectors. These interests find it convenient to discredit the NFU in any way they can. However, farmers must not be distracted. The issues are packer and retailer power, farmers’ prices, and who’s pocketing the profits.

Last week’s Billings, Montana meeting included 14 organizations from Mexico, Canada, and the US. This broad-based meeting focused on hog, cattle, food safety, and trade issues in all three nations. The meeting did not create any formal agreements to work together. The NFU did find common ground with organizations such as Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) and Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) on issues such as captive supply and reform of trade agreements (see the NFU’s February 13 release at www.nfu.ca ). The NFU looks forward to sharing information with a broad range of international organizations on how we can end the cattle price crisis and defend family farms against those who are threatening them.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Well in talking to my Canadian neighbor today- and comparing cattle/bred cow prices- $600-700 CDN (at $1.30 value difference) to $1100-1200 US just south of the border-- some Canucks may want to work with R-CALF and the US producers to do away with the rape and pillage the Multinational Packers are doing to you..... :???:

Or you can set back- back your packer bought out ABP/CCA/SSGA (that have done nothing for you for how many years :???: ) and fight thru the WTO (for years before there is a decision) a nationwide consumer/producer majority backed transparency and honesty in labeling M-COOL law-- that Canadian NFU and other Canadian groups realize that if promoted/legislated in Canada would give you a chance to openly promote your product....

Either you move forward or die on the vine arse kissing the Packers and Packer backing groups.....
 

Tex

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Well in talking to my Canadian neighbor today- and comparing cattle/bred cow prices- $600-700 CDN (at $1.30 value difference) to $1100-1200 US just south of the border-- some Canucks may want to work with R-CALF and the US producers to do away with the rape and pillage the Multinational Packers are doing to you..... :???:

Or you can set back- back your packer bought out ABP/CCA/SSGA (that have done nothing for you for how many years :???: ) and fight thru the WTO (for years before there is a decision) a nationwide consumer/producer majority backed transparency and honesty in labeling M-COOL law-- that Canadian NFU and other Canadian groups realize that if promoted/legislated in Canada would give you a chance to openly promote your product....

Either you move forward or die on the vine arse kissing the Packers and Packer backing groups.....

Like I said, the Packers and Stockyards Act should apply to packer's international supply or they shouldn't be able to sell those supplies in the U.S.

It is time these globalist stop using foreign supplies of products to win at the competition game in the U.S. and buy their way into dominant positions in the market with these supplies and the profits on them.

These guys running these scams shouldn't be at the head of corporations, they should be in jail. As long as the U.S. government, meaning politicians, executive branch, and courts bow down to money, we will have these problems and have crooks running the largest corporations. It is a sign that our leaders can not govern justly. The mountain is moving.
 

Kato

Well-known member
Like I said, the Packers and Stockyards Act should apply to packer's international supply or they shouldn't be able to sell those supplies in the U.S.

It is time these globalist stop using foreign supplies of products to win at the competition game in the U.S. and buy their way into dominant positions in the market with these supplies and the profits on them.

Don't forget that these "globalists" you are speaking of come in the form of large American corporations, and by trying to stop live Canadian cattle from being processed in your country, you are creating a locked down buttoned up captive supply right on your doorstep. The big American packers that are operating in our country have NO ONE to keep them honest without trade in live cattle. It just makes them stronger, and doesn't help either one of us one little bit.

Those same discounts that are being applied to Canadian cattle slaughtered in the U.S. are being applied to Canadian cattle being slaughtered in Canada. Why? Because they CAN DO IT. There is no one else bidding to keep them honest. We lose both ways, and like it or not, your country is getting the same amount of Canadian beef into the system as ever. The only difference is that it is not in the form of live cattle being processed in the U.S. by Americans at a time when secure jobs are more important than ever. It is being processed on the cheap in our country, and we both lose.

You can say that RCALF is not targetting Canadian cattle producers all you like, but no one believes it for a moment. Actions say otherwise. :roll: :roll: :roll:
 

Tex

Well-known member
Kato said:
Like I said, the Packers and Stockyards Act should apply to packer's international supply or they shouldn't be able to sell those supplies in the U.S.

It is time these globalist stop using foreign supplies of products to win at the competition game in the U.S. and buy their way into dominant positions in the market with these supplies and the profits on them.

Don't forget that these "globalists" you are speaking of come in the form of large American corporations, and by trying to stop live Canadian cattle from being processed in your country, you are creating a locked down buttoned up captive supply right on your doorstep. The big American packers that are operating in our country have NO ONE to keep them honest without trade in live cattle. It just makes them stronger, and doesn't help either one of us one little bit.

Those same discounts that are being applied to Canadian cattle slaughtered in the U.S. are being applied to Canadian cattle being slaughtered in Canada. Why? Because they CAN DO IT. There is no one else bidding to keep them honest. We lose both ways, and like it or not, your country is getting the same amount of Canadian beef into the system as ever. The only difference is that it is not in the form of live cattle being processed in the U.S. by Americans at a time when secure jobs are more important than ever. It is being processed on the cheap in our country, and we both lose.

You can say that RCALF is not targetting Canadian cattle producers all you like, but no one believes it for a moment. Actions say otherwise. :roll: :roll: :roll:

Yes, these guys are good at pitting one interest group against another to use for their own purposes. We have a government on both sides that have allowed it to happen so we both have failed governments when it comes to good governance. They just can't do the job.
 

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