Letters to the Editor

Why BIC

Re: Beef promoter needs cash to tout product, WP, Dec. 23.

I think I know where they could look for it. It will soon be two years since the beef producers of this country have seen benefits from the millions they contribute to the Beef Information Centre. Prices paid to producers have been based on what the packers can legally steal fat cattle for, not any price negotiated or influenced by the work of the BIC or Canadian Beef Export Federation for that matter. All of this producer money has gone to help the packers, and/or retailers sell beef.

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I think it’s time the beneficiaries of all of this hard work were asked to contribute their share.

If the beef industry in the country were an integrated system, we could stay the course, but the past 19 months have shown that the packers in this country have no regard for the beef producers’ well-being. The only concern is profit, and there has been lots of that. This course of action on their part has me questioning, do steel companies advertise for Ford or Chrysler? Do grain farmers promote Cheerios? Ranchers sell cattle, packers sell beef. If this industry wants to join the two again, maybe a little respect would be in order.

If the BIC needs money to keep promoting beef, they could seek that money from those who sell beef. Maybe they could send a solicitor to the door of Tyson or Cargill. He could ask them to contribute a few more dollars than their current “marketing levy,” which is equal to that of the rancher who sees no profit, unless they can make it off some poor soul down the line.

If BIC would like to offer me a salesman salary based on commission, I’ll give it a shot. On second thought, I’m sure those folks know who I am by now so I guess you better send somebody else.

Ñ Randy Kaiser,

Crossfield, Alta.

Pour-on caution

I am writing because of a disturbing practice occurring in our province and surrounding area. To give some background, cattle producers routinely use pour-on products in the fall for lice and parasite control in their cattle.

For a number of years, these products have retailed for about $525 for a five-litre container, less a consumer rebate of $50. Like most veterinarians, I have been unable to mark these products up because they are retailed at cost in large outlets such as a large feed outlet in Regina, that handle huge quantities of the products. …

I recently found out that this year cattle producers have been purchasing a generic form of this product from the United States at less than half the price that I purchase and sell it here.

While I am performing herd work such as pregnancy examinations, farmers are applying this generic American product, which they have driven two hours to the border into Montana to bring across without any problems.

What has happened to Canada Customs? One farmer told me he brought back enough product to treat about 1,000 cows. His own herd is less than 100 cows. …

I understand that farmers are struggling and that economics dictate a lot of the farm decisions. My business has struggled too with the BSE situation. Yet in the past two years, I have not raised my professional service prices to farmers in understanding of their economic situation, despite inflation being as high as three percent in our province.

I try to support and make donations to events in support of our small towns and the kids growing up in them, like 4-H, local hockey teams and service clubs. Where has this got me?

I hope that I can still be in existence when this whole mess is sorted out, to be able to provide service to the customers who are going elsewhere right now for cheap goods. It is hard to make a go of it in a small business when your customers expect you to be available for call 24 hours a day for seven days a week, but purchase their medications elsewhere. …

The main irony here is that cattle producers are more than willing to support American retailers when it is the Americans who have been contributing to the hardships suffered by our farmers in the past two years….

Farmers using these generic U.S. products should be aware that they are not approved in Canada. Using them poses a legal risk and a food safety risk. …

I am happy to provide advice and product support to those who purchase from me, and try to provide quality herd health advice and service to loyal customers….

Ñ Melanie Roth,

Indian Head, Sask.

Fat truths

Your editorial, “Trans fats proposal too much, too fast” (Dec. 9), in which you question the need to quickly eliminate trans fats, is in my view the height of irresponsible journalism.

Furthermore, you demonstrate your misunderstanding of the whole subject by suggesting that it is necessary to reduce intake of saturated fats.

To review the reputable science that exists pointing to the dangers of hydrogenation of vegetable oils, which produce trans fats, requires more space than you would allow me. Similarly, there is a wealth of reputable science confirming that the substitution of saturated animal fat with hydrogenated vegetable fat has contributed to the epidemic of heart disease and hypertension in North America.

The brainwashing job done on us by the food giants about fictitious cholesterol dangers has effectively confused several generations about the real facts regarding fats in our diets.

You have unwittingly supported the flawed science of the lipid hypothesis, proposed in the 1950s, linking saturated fat, cholesterol and heart disease, and which has been debunked many times since, unbeknown to medical schools and journalists.

The food giants however, gleefully adopted the theory and used it very effectively for the past 50 years, to produce and sell the imitation foods that are killing us.

Before 1920, coronary heart disease was rare, but today it causes about 40 percent of deaths, and if you believe the lipid theory, it is saturated fats that are killing us.

Actually the reverse is true. From 1920 to 1970, our saturated animal fat intake reduced from 83 percent to 60 percent, butter from 18 pounds to four lb. per capita, and dietary cholesterol increased by one percent. During the same period, margarine, shortening and refined oils increased by 400 percent, and sugar by 60 percent. Take a guess. Where do you think the blame lies?…

No doubt your editorial was intended to cozy up to the canola producers among your readership. They produce a wholesome product, but it is the food industry that destroys its wholesomeness in the name of convenience and profits.

Ñ Trevor Jones,

Fairview, Alta.

Let’s review

Paul Martin and Ralph Klein are tag teaming Stephen Harper on the issue of same sex marriage.

Meanwhile, I, Jacob Doerksen, along with all of the cattle producers in all of Canada from east to west, would like the powers that be to address a trade issue better known to the public as BSE.

I am willing to state my personal opinion on this issue.

My opinion on this issue is the internal politics and it excludes the capital “E” which equals BS. Let’s review this one more time at least.

Ñ Jacob Doerksen,

Inwood, Man.

Farm view

We have government, chemical companies, the Canadian Wheat Board, financial institutions and farmers who primarily make a living (from) off-farm income.

These groups have most of the input on farm policy and direction. It is my opinion these groups spend much of their time and the farmers’ money in justifying their pay and their jobs. The actual full-time farmers and their opinions have little input or are not listened to. It seems we could do no worse by having actual producer input.

Really, do these groups feel they know what’s best for the farmer? These groups are looking after themselves and by doing that locking the farmers out.

The farmers are fewer today, programs are confusing and one wonders who they’re for. And at what cost?

Our Canadian Wheat Board is not there for our survival. Most farm income does not come from them. They’re fear mongering of what would happen if there was no monopoly.

Most farmers within Canada do not use the wheat board. I find them a roadblock to industry development and private enterprise. Most of their selling methods are confusing, and it is advantage to some and becomes a disadvantage to others….