Opinions in the west

BOB SWITZER, Aneroid, Saskatchewan
Cow-calf operator and shareholder in Red Coat Feeders

“Every provincial government can do whatever they want. The only hang up I have is that they call it Alberta beef when cattle care coming from the other provinces. We have to promote this as Canadian beef.” Switzer said the Alberta program distorts the market but is hesitant to criticize too heavily, saying producers never know when the shoe might be on the other foot.

ED DALKE, Morden, Manitoba
Feedlot operator

“Programs always distort the market. We get one program out of the way and we ask for another one.” Dalke is concerned the industry will become dependent on government money and that it would be better if economics dictated the market.

BILL FREELING, British Columbia
Feedlot operator

“It’s going to act like a big vacuum and suck all the cattle out of B.C. and leave nothing for our feedlot operators.
We probably background 50,00 - 60,000 head within our group. We feed 20 percent to finish and the rest are backgrounded prior to going to the U.S. Even our American customers can’t afford to compete with Alberta money. Because of the $100 a head to finish these cattle, Americans won’t be able to compete with that. I can’t see any positives in this for B.C. unless we get matching funds or some enhancement, but our government is completely ignoring us.”