Sandhusker said:MRJ, "Sandhusker, I will grant that I do not absolutely KNOW who did what "behind closed doors".....but have to wonder how you KNOW that information. And, no, I don't know who you are saying is that individual who gets all the agribusiness "donations", nor how one individual could kill something without a vote. Please enlighten me."
I know what happened because I read the papers and watch the news. Anybody who does the same knows what I know. It's all out there and easily available, MRJ. Henry Bonilla is the chairman of the Ag. Committee. He is the single largest recipient of "donations" from agribusiness. The entire congressional body does not vote on every segment of the farm bill. The Ag. committee puts it together and then Congress votes on the entire package as presented. Bonilla removed funding for COOL before he sent the bill to be voted on. Congress did not get to vote on whether COOL would be funded or not. Several lawmakers were furious with Bonilla and voted against the entire farm bill because of what happened.
MRJ, "As for the Senators and the President signing the bill, I am glad we finally have Senators and a President who will support business, big and small, as these guys do. I thought you were involved in a business. And those of us who make our living raising cattle darn well better realize we are businessmen or we will soon be out of business."
Well, that's nice, MRJ, but their efforts to support business was undercut in committee.
MRJ, "Poll responses are not reliable unless the questions are designed so as to elicit an honest response, and many people give the answers they believe are desired and popular rather than what they really believe. Unless the consumer KNOWS that COOL exempts the majority of imported beef from the labeling, and that there is no provision for tracing US beef, which after all, is the majority of beef consumed, they are not able to give an informed answer to those polls."
If polls did not have some degree of reliablity, they would not exist and politicians would not spend millions on taking them.
MRJ, "Yes, the exemption of most imported beef probably could be "fixed" somehow. What do you suppose it will cost the industry, beyond the packer?"
I think it will cost a heck of a lot less that M-ID.
MRJ, "I wouldn't deny that SOME importers and SOME in exporting countries will be eying our market, but do have to wonder, since most do not produce the grain fed, higher end beef we want, just how successful they will be in selling their beef to us."
We're the money market, MRJ. EVERYBODY is eying our market. Australia does not product a great deal of grain fed beef, and I'd have to say they have had success here. You also have to ask yourself what will stop countries from producing grain fed beef when our door is wide open.
MRJ, "The market that REALLY grabs my attention is the 94% of the world population living outside the USA that is rapidly gaining in purchasing power and wanting our US beef, one we get the BSE questions and biases solved. THAT is the growth opportunity for the future, an opinion I share with many others."
The market that really grabs MY attention is the US market. The US market is the most lucrative market in the world and we're here. I don't think it makes any sense to risk losing any ground in the best market to be in to chase pastures that clearly are less green. Why in the world would you go across town to make a buck when you can make two bucks out your back door?
MRJ, "The problem with COOL and trade laws, as I understand it, is that if imported beef must be labeled as to origin, so must the domestic beef. I do not believe we can simply assume all "other" beef than that known to be imported is USA "bred, born, and raised" unless there is verification. Traceability back to the rancher was prevented in the COOL law, wasn't it?"
Tracability was NOT prevented in the COOL law.
MRJ, "Are you sure that other those "developed nations" have COOL? I believe what they have is M-ID, which I support. Don't they require permanent ID at birth with a system that remains with the animal/carcass/cut of beef from producer to consumer? Anything less than that is fooling the consumer, IMO. "
Do some homework on the EU, MRJ.
MRJ, "What will be the benefit of COOL when we have M-ID of ALL animals and meats? IMO, it will be redundant, at best."
How can you question the cost of COOL but not M-ID? COOL only requires knowing where the animal was born, M-ID requires knowing where the animal spend every hour of it's life. Which do you think would be cheaper.
My question about getting the cows in was COOL related. I'm saying that just like one would get the cows in the winter pasture or close to shelter if you knew a big storm was on the way, we should get prepared today for the storm of foreign beef that is headed our way. It's coming.
We have one of the best deals on water in the world. In many places you can dig to water with a shovel - and it's good water.
Sandhusker, you were so cryptic in your "behind closed doors" and money comments, I didn't realize you were refering to such common knowledge........yes, I understand the power Bonilla has in that committee.
Re. consumers, and polls, and claims of them wanting THIS law, COOL..... if that were really true, why are the branded, source verified beef products not growing faster and selling out their product faster than any other beef?
I'm not discounting the value of the US market.......I'm saying that the potential for the most growth in market for beef is the other 94% of the world population.
No, traceability from the Packer to the Consumer was not, but from the packer BACK to the producer was, wasn't it?
Please show me where M-ID requires "knowing where the animal spends every hour of its life".
We simply cannot have an effective means of tracking beef and cattle to solve animal disease or human health problems if we do not require record of every owner of theat animal/carcass. To imply that will require hour to hour recordings of where the animal was grazing each day is fearmongering, IMO.
What good is it going to do knowing ONLY that the animal was born in the USA......but preventing knowing WHERE in the USA it was born if the need to trace that animal arises?
I suppose the world marketing situation is risky......but protectionism is risky as well. And I don't believe international trade is going to be a free for all give away of US markets.
Yes, I know about your easy water situation in the Sandhills.......and could get envious.......until I notice all that haying necessary for ranching there. Each area has pluses and minuses, it seems.
MRJ