Duel

Very interesting dueling commentaries, at least if you're a cattle producer, were published in the Gazette this morning. First you have the American Meat Institute (AMI) President saying the US and Canadian <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/11/06/build/opinion/40-guest-op.inc" target="_blank">cattle herds are integrated</a> and R-Calf USA refuting this statement and saying <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/11/06/build/opinion/42-guest-op2.inc" target="_blank">there is no such integrtation</a>. I find the debate interesting and anybody with an open mind can find arguments in each side that are true.<br />n<br />n<!–more–><br />n<br />nR-Calf correctly points out that the meat industry is not integrated. There were always and will always be Canadian Cattle, American Cattle, and Mexican cattle. All three countries keep fairly tight borders for disease reasons on the movement of live cattle and there is no reason to integrate the herds. R-Calf and AMI have different goals so working together, according to R-Calf, is not really an option and I agree.<br />n<br />n <blockquote>The different economic interests between the beef industry and cattle industry create a natural competition between what AMI's 1,100 beef packer/processor-members want and what R-CALF USA's 11,000 cattle-producer members want. R-CALF USA members want to create demand for U.S. cattle.</blockquote><br />n<br />nWhere the truth in AMI's position lies and what R-Calf should recognize is that by denying Canadian producers a market outlet for cattle they are going to allow to be established a competing industry that can hurt US cattle producers in the long run.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>With the U.S. border closed to Canadian beef, the Canadian government and industry are moving quickly to bring more packing and processing plants online in Canada, which will likely increase Canadian beef production over the next several decades. </blockquote><br />n<br />nThis has always been my problem with R-Calf's postion. While I feel the represent the Cow-Calf man very well thier short sighted attitude to problems may only compound our problems in the future. Thier continued opposition to keeping the border closed to cattle movement will only create more competition in the future. While competition is not always a bad thing, to go out and breed it purposely is a mistake R-Calf might regret in the future.<br />n<br />n<b>Regret is an odd emotion because it comes only upon reflection. Regret lacks immediacy, and so its power seldom influences events when it could do some good. William O'Rourke</b>