|
Comm
Slaughter classes steady to 2 higher . Calves and feeder cattle
traded 2 to 3 higher. Market very active on good demand.
** NOTE**
Due to a lack of consignments, we
will not have a Replacement Cow Sale in the month of May. We hope to have a
sale in June. We will let you know.
DO NOT let the tag companies, certain cattlemens organizations, or some
government officials scare you into believing that you must have premises
identification in order to comply with mandatory Country of Origin Labeling,
(COOL). Undersecretary of Agriculture Bruce Knight has stated that a signed
affidavit from producers is all that is needed to sell your cattle after the
implementation of COOL. Neither Premises ID nor individual animal ID are
mandatory, although there are those who would have you believe otherwise.
Also, when you accept premises ID, you are giving up some of your
Constitutional Rights, including Private Property Rights.
Convention Report
I just returned
from the R-CALF USA convention in Omaha, Nebraska. This was one of the best
trips I have made concerning our industry. One of my main concerns was the
cattle numbers across the nation. I have believed for a long time that the
numbers were much lower than U. S. D. A. was telling us. After talking to
producers and market men from all parts of the country, I found this
to be true. Everyone says the numbers are the lowest ever. The figures I was
told were from 10% to as much as 50% across the nation. Industry people who
are in the know predict that prices will continue to increase as the year
continues. All indications are that they are right. Moisture conditions are
good in most areas, and producers are looking forward to good grass this
spring and summer. On another note, I have never seen so many people
speaking out against NAFTA, W T O, and other so called Free Trade
Agreements. Groups from the manufacturing and trucking industries, consumer
groups, and citizens groups from all over the nation were represented at the
convention to discuss trade agreements and food safety. Did you know that
this nation can opt out of NAFTA and the W T O at any time without penalty?
I did not know this until I attended this convention. If you feel that we
have been adversely affected by these trade agreements, call and/or e-mail your Senators
and Congressmen and Congresswomen and tell them to get us out. Also tell
them to implement Country of Origin Labeling (C O O L), and the Ban on
Packer Ownership of Cattle, so the packers will not be able to use their
cattle supplies to beat our market down, as they have been doing for years. Keep calling
until we get results. Heat up their phone lines. They are supposed to
represent us, but they are selling our industry and the manufacturing and many
other industries down the river. Think about this and join and support
R-CALF. We need your help and support now more than ever. Together we can
make changes.
Thank you,
Ed.
**NOTE**
Today,January
08,2008,marks our sixteenth year here at Dothan Livestock Co.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of
our customers and FRIENDS, a happy and prosporous new year.You are so very
important to us .We know that without your support and continued
patronage,we could not be here.From all of us here at Dothan Livestock C
o.,we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!
DID YOU KNOW??
Feeder cattle imports from Canada,through the first three quarters of this
year,are up 33% over last year and 181% from two years ago.On the flip
side,feeder cattle imports from Mexico are down 20% from last year and 15%
from two years ago,but only because Mexico was in the same drought pattern
that Texas was and do not have the cattle to sell.If they had the available
cattle,the imports would be higher and our market would be lower.
Also,USDA will increase testing of Canadian meat and poultry for
contaminants,including E.coli and Salmonella,after USDA has identied a
Canadian firm as the likely source of E.coli contamination responsible for
the second largest beef recall in U.S. history.But note that USDA has not
mentioned any tightening of the Canadian border and is still pushing to give
Canada unlimited access to our border and markets and totally disregarding
food safety,as well as the damage to American Producers.
Remember a few years ago when R-CALF USA was responsible for the closing of
the border and we enjoyed the highest prices in the history of our
industry?R-CALF is still woking every day to get tighter controls on the
border,and we need your help.Call me to join.
Call your Senators and ask that they support the farm bill as it came out of
committee:
support mandatory Country of Origin Labeling
support ban on packer ownership of livestock,this is urgent since NCBA said
this week that it will fight to strip that measure from The Senate Ag
Committee farm bill.(I wonder whose side they are on?)
Calls are urgent.Ask that the Senate Ag Committee version of the Farm Bill
be kept intact.
Thanks,Ed
SUPPORT R- CALF
.
********************************************************
|