Cattle farmers not cashing in..............
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Nesikep
Well-known member
Here's an interesting read on monopolies and drivers of inflation https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/corporate-profits-drive-60-of-inflation
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
India exports a lot of low quality beef and (water) buffalo into other Asian countries.
JBS should get on it.
I am complaining about the government restrictions to selling meat.
Prices are a reflection of expectations to a degree. Seems people have the expectation to break even or lose money far too often.
I'm trying to make part of my living with beef, but the red tape is a tall pile of bullshyte IMO. That's all I'm saying.
Prices are a reflection of expectations to a degree. Seems people have the expectation to break even or lose money far too often.
I'm trying to make part of my living with beef, but the red tape is a tall pile of bullshyte IMO. That's all I'm saying.
pnw-farmer
Well-known member
Getting independent (small) producers to ban together and lobby to have laws and regs changed and get involved in the process when these regs and laws are being passed or changed. By writing letters or going to your state capital to make their voices heard or if someone is brave enough run for office.
Now the biggest problem with that would be getting all the small producers that join together to do what is good for all producers even if it means making a sacrifice at times for the better good of all.
Needs to start locally among friends and spread to the local region then to the state level and then nationally. Because divided we will fall and eventually become extinct
HDRider
Well-known member
Tyson one of the big four but not the biggest, spent over $500,000 on political contributions, and over $1.2 million lobbying. That is just in one year. They do this every year.
Tyson Foods Profile: Summary
Tyson Foods organization profile. Contributions in the 2024 cycle: $470,836. Lobbying in 2024: $2,050,000. Outside Spending in the 2024 cycle: $0.
www.opensecrets.org
A ragtag bunch of hard headed cattlemen that can't get together to put 40 steers on a truck don't have a prayer.
It would be safe to assume packers spend over $5 million per year paying politicians and another $10 million per year bending their ear and writing legislation. These are just my own personal guesses. For those of you that don't know, lobbyist, working with friendly staffers write most legislation. The elected just have to vote for it.
Call you Senator and ask him to visit with you. See how that works out. You might get an audience with your representative, but try your Senator.
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pnw-farmer
Well-known member
And there lays the problem.Tyson one of the big four but not the biggest, spent over $500,00 on political contributions, and over $1.2 million lobbying. That is just in one year. They do this every year.
Tyson Foods Profile: Summary
Tyson Foods organization profile. Contributions in the 2024 cycle: $470,836. Lobbying in 2024: $2,050,000. Outside Spending in the 2024 cycle: $0.
A ragtag bunch of hard headed cattlemen that can't get together to put 40 steers on a truck don't have a prayer.
It would be safe to assume packers spend over $5 million per year paying politicians and another $10 million per year bending their ear and writing legislation. These are just my own personal guesses. For those of you that don't know, lobbyist, working with friendly staffers write most legislation. The elected just have to vote for it.
Call you Senator and ask him to visit with you. See how that works out. You might get an audience with your representative, but try your Senator.
I woke up this morning, in the Divine, swinging my sword...but now I feel and realize I might be a ragtag hard-headed cattleman even without 40 steer to load onto someone else's truck....not to mention lacking the 10 million. A sad day when Cattle go the way of the Chicken industry, where small to medium producers are excluded.Tyson one of the big four but not the biggest, spent over $500,00 on political contributions, and over $1.2 million lobbying. That is just in one year. They do this every year.
Tyson Foods Profile: Summary
Tyson Foods organization profile. Contributions in the 2024 cycle: $470,836. Lobbying in 2024: $2,050,000. Outside Spending in the 2024 cycle: $0.
A ragtag bunch of hard headed cattlemen that can't get together to put 40 steers on a truck don't have a prayer.
It would be safe to assume packers spend over $5 million per year paying politicians and another $10 million per year bending their ear and writing legislation. These are just my own personal guesses. For those of you that don't know, lobbyist, working with friendly staffers write most legislation. The elected just have to vote for it.
Call you Senator and ask him to visit with you. See how that works out. You might get an audience with your representative, but try your Senator.
Ky hills
Well-known member
Exactly, throughout this thread it lays bare the reality that we face.Tyson one of the big four but not the biggest, spent over $500,00 on political contributions, and over $1.2 million lobbying. That is just in one year. They do this every year.
Tyson Foods Profile: Summary
Tyson Foods organization profile. Contributions in the 2024 cycle: $470,836. Lobbying in 2024: $2,050,000. Outside Spending in the 2024 cycle: $0.
A ragtag bunch of hard headed cattlemen that can't get together to put 40 steers on a truck don't have a prayer.
It would be safe to assume packers spend over $5 million per year paying politicians and another $10 million per year bending their ear and writing legislation. These are just my own personal guesses. For those of you that don't know, lobbyist, working with friendly staffers write most legislation. The elected just have to vote for it.
Call you Senator and ask him to visit with you. See how that works out. You might get an audience with your representative, but try your Senator.
It would be dang nigh impossible to get producers to work together when some would double cross in heartbeat and still maintain that have have integrity
You are 100% correct in that those big packers contribute huge amounts of money to the politicians. They buy what ever influence they want. Collectively all the farmers and ranchers are nothing more than a few votes that they can get with rhetoric of totally unrelated issues. So naturally to the politicians the money is always right.
At this point in time there is enough people to sustain the big ag system as well as local production and marketing.
The only problem is that the big companies are keeping that from happening by hiding in plain sight behind the regulations from the government that they have bought off.
Our State representative has a place down the road. We talk from time to time if Cows are out or somethings going on. We definitely aren't big players or anything around here but do own a business in our town that hires the most employees, we've bought several hundred acres to expand the Cattle, I work for a place that's the biggest tax payer in the next county, and we give as much if not more than anyone to the local schools. He has never ask me what my issues are or if I have any problems or ideas. Makes me wonder who he's catering too. Maybe because we pretty much keep a low profile we're not worth asking?
HDRider
Well-known member
Take pride in your ragtagedness
Dave
Well-known member
Some years ago ago pretty powerful state senator lived in the same town as I did. Our daughters played soccer on the same team. We sat together at a game and BS'ed. I told him about the rules I had made for my oldest son who had just got his drivers license. The next legislative session a law was past giving all new drivers the same rules as my son had. Good common sense ideas presented to powerful people in the right manner can make changes.
HDRider
Well-known member
I ain't talking about a state senator. I talk to mine all the time.
I am talking about the one that flies back and forth to DC. You might get time with him if his daughter is on the same team as yours, maybe, maybe not.
Dave
Well-known member
But also realize there is a revolving door between the USDA, the big four, and NBCA. Take a look at how many of those upper level executive types have worked for two if not all three.
HDRider
Well-known member
Again, you are 100% spot on
Start with your local elected leaders . Get th on your side. Have similar minded people talk to them as well . They can get the ear of those in state ,federal elected officials easier then you can. Now is the time to push for changes in food meat marketing with inflation and all the supply issues. making a lot of people look more at local supply chain issues.
Talk to your local officials and get them to group together on issues to get more attention at the state and federal level.
Talk to your local officials and get them to group together on issues to get more attention at the state and federal level.
Start a cattle producers union covering all 50 states. Elect experienced,honest leaders. Then take it to the limit!
HDRider
Well-known member
These guys are tearing it up.
Home - National Farmers Union
The Latest from Farmers Union Fact Sheets The Farmer's Share Of The Retail Dollar Farmers and ranchers receive just 14.3* cents of the consumer food dollar. Join NFU Today! Our Vision is of... A world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic...
nfu.org
Think about it.
Say we had this great association that acted as "our single voice" representing our interest, standing up to packers. Then the day comes and the Beef Union says "Don't Sell!" - 250 days later they are still saying, "Don't Sell!!!"
How long can you wait?
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Nesikep
Well-known member
Hard to ask people who are hardly making ends meet, who've had 1 year of good prices in the last 20 (and quite possibly had a small herd because of a drought the previous year) to make sacrifices. Rising land prices with people having mortgages/equipment payments due is one of the biggest screws they can tighten on everyone to make sure that no one can afford to hold out and will have to sell regardless of if it's profitable or the right time.
I've learned about how the lobbyists work through the right-to-repair legislation that's been heard in many states, I've posted about it here and despite it being kinda important to us, it totally falls on deaf ears here as well.
Lobbyists absolutely fearmonger the lawmakers.... your phone will EXPLODE if you change the battery! an independent repair shop will install Tiktok on your phone and steal all your data and you'll have stalkers that'll rape you in the underground parking lot if you let someone fix the broken screen on your phone (there is not ONE instance of this having happened)
pnw-farmer
Well-known member
That sounds like they have too much power, the producers would have to maintain some amount of control, like some voting power or say in things.These guys are tearing it up.
Home - National Farmers Union
The Latest from Farmers Union Fact Sheets The Farmer's Share Of The Retail Dollar Farmers and ranchers receive just 14.3* cents of the consumer food dollar. Join NFU Today! Our Vision is of... A world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic...
Think about it.
Say we had this great association that acted as "our single voice" representing our interest, standing up to packers. Then the day comes and the Beef Union says "Don't Sell!" - 250 days later they are still saying, "Don't Sell!!!"
How long can't you wait?
The market is going to go up and down like all things, but it appears producers need a seat at the table, or nothing is ever going to change for the better.
I would think most people just want a fair price for their cattle for the risk they are taking. And not the packers reaping all the profits.
This issue this ag wide. not just cattle.
