Maple Leaf Angus
Well-known member
Every now and then, we can use the assessment of past events to predict, with a fairly high degree of accuracy, what is going to take place. We don't need to be clairvoyant, just observant.
If what I see developing as a result of r-calf's actions comes about, the U.S. cattle industry had better enjoy it's good times, because they won't last much longer. (Even before taking natural price cycles into account!).
The past event to which I am referring was executed in the '70's. The U.S. administration took exception to the activites of the USSR and placed an embargo on grain sales to the Soviet bloc. Grain prices crashed in the U.S. and skyrocketed in the USSR. AND in countries who would sell them grain.
Such an opportunity for profit did not go unnoticed by a certain entrepreneur who had a boat and a bit of land in Brazil. He planted a "field" of soybeans and sold them to the Communists. For A whole pile of money. So much, in fact, that he decided to plant some more.
And now, almost 35 years later, he has not stopped making his field bigger. And he will not, because his farm is at least 4 times bigger than the U.S. Plus the fact that he can grow beans way cheaper than the U.S.
Not only did he negatively impact the price of soys, the lower price caused a shift to corn acres in the U.S. and pressured that market as well.
One stone, two birds.
If the border does close to Canadian boxed beef, it will be a short-lived victory for r-calf, because that act will be the catalyst for precipitous action (finally) for the Canadian cattle industry to totally develop the necessary infrastructure for marketing all of our beef anywhere in the world according to their standards. (The customer is not always right, but s/he is always the customer.)
The U.S. beef producers will be left with their high cost and archaic infrastructure and domestic market. And fearmongering b*****ds that will have to eat one hell of a lot of beef when their "first" case of BSE is announced.
The Parallel? Well, I think it should be pretty clear. Once we, Canada, have provided the world beef consumer with what they want and on their terms, the rest of the beef exporting world will be in the unenviable position of having to play catch-up.
I do feel sympathy for those American cattle men and women who are going to be sucked into the aftermath of these events through no fault of their own.They were caught in the crossfire of the attack launched by some blind and greedy ideologues who spout "food safety" as the mantra that motivates their deeds.
If I were one of them, I would be inclined to fight my r-calf neighbour to the death. Because that is going to be the outcome of their actions anyway.
We seldom can see the broad and long-term impact of our actions at the time we commit them But it is guaranteed that we will reap what we sow.
Hey, I think I just wrote my next column! Sneak preview for the good folks at Ranchers.net.
If what I see developing as a result of r-calf's actions comes about, the U.S. cattle industry had better enjoy it's good times, because they won't last much longer. (Even before taking natural price cycles into account!).
The past event to which I am referring was executed in the '70's. The U.S. administration took exception to the activites of the USSR and placed an embargo on grain sales to the Soviet bloc. Grain prices crashed in the U.S. and skyrocketed in the USSR. AND in countries who would sell them grain.
Such an opportunity for profit did not go unnoticed by a certain entrepreneur who had a boat and a bit of land in Brazil. He planted a "field" of soybeans and sold them to the Communists. For A whole pile of money. So much, in fact, that he decided to plant some more.
And now, almost 35 years later, he has not stopped making his field bigger. And he will not, because his farm is at least 4 times bigger than the U.S. Plus the fact that he can grow beans way cheaper than the U.S.
Not only did he negatively impact the price of soys, the lower price caused a shift to corn acres in the U.S. and pressured that market as well.
One stone, two birds.
If the border does close to Canadian boxed beef, it will be a short-lived victory for r-calf, because that act will be the catalyst for precipitous action (finally) for the Canadian cattle industry to totally develop the necessary infrastructure for marketing all of our beef anywhere in the world according to their standards. (The customer is not always right, but s/he is always the customer.)
The U.S. beef producers will be left with their high cost and archaic infrastructure and domestic market. And fearmongering b*****ds that will have to eat one hell of a lot of beef when their "first" case of BSE is announced.
The Parallel? Well, I think it should be pretty clear. Once we, Canada, have provided the world beef consumer with what they want and on their terms, the rest of the beef exporting world will be in the unenviable position of having to play catch-up.
I do feel sympathy for those American cattle men and women who are going to be sucked into the aftermath of these events through no fault of their own.They were caught in the crossfire of the attack launched by some blind and greedy ideologues who spout "food safety" as the mantra that motivates their deeds.
If I were one of them, I would be inclined to fight my r-calf neighbour to the death. Because that is going to be the outcome of their actions anyway.
We seldom can see the broad and long-term impact of our actions at the time we commit them But it is guaranteed that we will reap what we sow.
Hey, I think I just wrote my next column! Sneak preview for the good folks at Ranchers.net.
