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2 hours ago, Mark H. said:

It was inevitable. Dairy and poultry farmers have quietly made a fortune over the years, hoping no one would notice. 

Cost to produce a dozen eggs: 0.65

Selling price for the farmer: 1.90 - 2.50

Hormones must be banned only for dairy, because beef feedlots sure use them. 

define "fortune"

anyway, I'm not sure there's anything wrong with dairy and poultry farmers making a lot of money. It's hard enough these days to survive as a farmer, if any of them do well, I'm glad to hear about it.

I guess if it was that great some farmers wouldn't have to branch out into making kitchen cabinets. Others wouldn't have to have sideline jobs driving semi trucks.

Eggs aren't expensive, neither is milk/cheese, or chicken.

What's the cost of a bag of potato chips, and the retail price?

didn't hear anyone bitching about the price of that item. biggest section in the grocery store.

If you want their prices, to go along with their way of life, move there. 

Here in Canada the low man is always happy to see his neighbour get knocked down a notch.

Is the price of milk is a big issue for people? No, didn't think so.

More jobs lost in rural Canada which is not what is needed.

end of rant.

Edited by Mark F
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6 minutes ago, Mark F said:

I'm not sure there's anything wrong with dairy and poultry farmers making a lot of money. It's hard enough these days to survive as a farmer, if any of them do well, I'm glad to hear about it.

Eggs aren't expensive, neither is milk/cheese, or chicken.

What's the cost of a bag of potato chips, and the retail price?

If you want their prices, to go along with their way of life, move there. 

Is the price of milk is a big issue for people? No, didn't think so.

More jobs lost in rural Canada which is not what is needed.

$300 - $500 more in grocery costs, per person, per year. Australia is thriving without supply management, because farmers are able to utilize the world market. 

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4 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

$300 - $500 more in grocery costs, per person, per year. Australia is thriving without supply management, because farmers are able to utilize the world market. 

I would be surprised. That's a lot of milk.

It makes no sense to me, to ship eggs, cream, and such from Australia, to Winnipeg Manitoba. It's absurd. The fact that they can do that, and make money, tells me

1. cost of shipping is too low, and that is going to have to change

2. They pay **** wages there.

3. The environmental cost of the feed must be high, specially water, in a country that is mostly desert.

probably more things, but it makes no sense it all, just from a climate change point of view.

anyway, I don't like it.

Most people won't give a hoot.

 

Edited by Mark F
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I'm not sure how I missed this:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/de-minimis-duty-free-1.4845458

 

Duty free limit is being raised from $20 to $150. That's a big change. I look forward to utilizing this change in the future. 

I ordered some vinyl from the states and I spent almost $50 in duties and taxes. Still worth it but it hurt me deep in my cockles and in my sub-cockle area. 

It's not all going away, just the duties. You will still pay taxes above $40. 

Edited by JCon
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4 hours ago, Mark F said:

define "fortune"

anyway, I'm not sure there's anything wrong with dairy and poultry farmers making a lot of money. It's hard enough these days to survive as a farmer, if any of them do well, I'm glad to hear about it.

I guess if it was that great some farmers wouldn't have to branch out into making kitchen cabinets. Others wouldn't have to have sideline jobs driving semi trucks.

Ok.  When supply management was first established, everyone got a share in it based on the size of their operation.  But since then, it has cost huge dollars to get into the system, assuming there is quota available for purchase.  For example, a quota to milk one 100 dairy cows will cost 3 - 4 million dollars.  A layer chicken quota will cost approx. $100 per bird.  So yes, farmers who have a quota earn a good living, but all the rest can only rarely buy into the system.

Thus, people build cabinets and drive trucks, rather than spending millions to get into one of the quota regulated livestock industries,which are usually not available anyway.

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13 hours ago, Mark H. said:

Ok.  When supply management was first established, everyone got a share in it based on the size of their operation.  But since then, it has cost huge dollars to get into the system, assuming there is quota available for purchase.  For example, a quota to milk one 100 dairy cows will cost 3 - 4 million dollars.  A layer chicken quota will cost approx. $100 per bird.  So yes, farmers who have a quota earn a good living, but all the rest can only rarely buy into the system.

Thus, people build cabinets and drive trucks, rather than spending millions to get into one of the quota regulated livestock industries,which are usually not available anyway.

thanks. 

so that's a problem, but that's not related to the price of eggs or milk, it's the price of quota which is determined by market value.

Anyway,   I support small family farms, and rural business, and small towns whatever is the best way to help them is good with me.

 

 

Edited by Mark F
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13 hours ago, pigseye said:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4506505/quebec-election-caq-francois-legault-wins-majority/

Wow, the Liberals are out in Quebec, another right wing party takes power ala Ontario. Looks like it could very well be one and done for Trudeau, hooray. 

Usually when there is a Liberal government federally, the provinces go Conservative, and vice versa.  Gerald Butts is going to be our PM for a long time, I am afraid.

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Quote

 

revised Nafta that includes Canada has a far greater chance of being ratified by Congress but its fate is still somewhat uncertain. Democrats could take control of the House or the Senate in the midterm elections in November and attempt to call for changes to the agreement.

“The crucial test for a new Nafta, or any new trade agreement, is whether it is enforceable, particularly with respect to promises to protect worker rights and the environment,” said Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee. “Americans are sick of hearing speeches about the benefits of new trade agreements when the agreements in place aren’t even enforced and their opportunities don’t materialize.”

Lawmakers have said they do not expect Congress to vote on the deal until early next year.

 

W Post.

So, might be done, might not. 

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10 minutes ago, Mark F said:

 

W Post.

So, might be done, might not. 

What would be very ironic is if the Dems get control of Congress, then reject this deal, becoming even more protectionist than Trump. 

I honestly believe they need to get behind this deal, call it for what it is, NAFTA 2.0, and then they need to attack the "Protectionist President" on his tariffs, which are hurting the US economy. 

The Dems can't win the House attacking this deal. 

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46 minutes ago, kelownabomberfan said:

Usually when there is a Liberal government federally, the provinces go Conservative, and vice versa.  Gerald Butts is going to be our PM for a long time, I am afraid.

Butts destroyed Ontario provincially, I highly doubt Ontarians will let him do the same to the country. And Quebec's Nationalism is contrary to Sunny Ways. I have faith in the voters. 

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52 minutes ago, Mark F said:

thanks. 

so that's a problem, but that's not related to the price of eggs or milk, it's the price of quota which is determined by market value.

Anyway,   I support small family farms, and rural business, and small towns whatever is the best way to help them is good with me.

 

 

On that - we agree. The biggest problem in rural areas is younger people not interested in farming. Most older farmers would not sell their land if they could avoid it. 

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1 hour ago, Mark H. said:

On that - we agree. The biggest problem in rural areas is younger people not interested in farming. Most older farmers would not sell their land if they could avoid it. 

I went through the same choice Mark.  Didn't see why anyone would want to farm, after having spent my teen years on a tractor.  Your take home pay worked out to about $.15 an hour...

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7 hours ago, kelownabomberfan said:

I went through the same choice Mark.  Didn't see why anyone would want to farm, after having spent my teen years on a tractor.  Your take home pay worked out to about $.15 an hour...

It's a tough job and a tough decision - no judgement from me.

I get to live in two worlds - the teaching profession and farming.  What makes farming worthwhile is being close to the land and the independence it brings.

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23 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Correct me if I am wrong but aren't most dairy operations essentially large businesses and not the traditional small family farm?

They are usually family owned, and yes, the average herd is about 80 cows. They are often large, but they are not corporate.  I believe the largest herd (in BC) milks over 3000 cows. 

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A long the topic of dairy farms, I would recommend a show on Netlfix called Rotten. There was an episode called "Milk Money" which discusses some of the ups and downs of the family dairy farm in the US. It's a bit dramatic and tackles "raw milk" but it will give a perspective of some of the challenges faced by an American dairy farm. 

Canada has a different economy for dairy but it's still interesting. 

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16 hours ago, Mark H. said:

They are usually family owned, and yes, the average herd is about 80 cows. They are often large, but they are not corporate.  I believe the largest herd (in BC) milks over 3000 cows. 

I find this hard to believe, driving around rural BC I come across cookie-cutter dairy operations wherever I go, not saying all dairy farms are like this but there sure are a lot of them and none more than 20 years old. Modern dairy barn out back and a big house for multiple families with a swimming pool up front, always the same layout.  I assumed the house was set up as temporary accommodations for dairy workers and maybe their families as they never have the usual accoutrements lying about that go along with a house or a real farm that is permanently occupied by one family.  Sure looks corporate to me.

Edited by Throw Long Bannatyne
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2 hours ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

I find this hard to believe, driving around rural BC I come across cookie-cutter dairy operations wherever I go, not saying all dairy farms are like this but there sure are a lot of them and none more than 20 years old. Modern dairy barn out back and a big house for multiple families with a swimming pool up front, always the same layout.  I assumed the house was set up as temporary accommodations for dairy workers and maybe their families as they never have the usual accoutrements lying about that go along with a house or a real farm that is permanently occupied by one family.  Sure looks corporate to me.

Ok, fair comment.  I guess I'm more used to the farms I see in MB. We don't have a dairy ourselves, but have one neighbour with 100 cows, one with 40, and another with 70.  The biggest farm that I know of personally milks around 300 head and the family also runs a strawberry farm.  Boonstra berries - people on here have probably heard of them.  

If what you describe is happening, then it sounds like corporations have tapped into the supply management system, just as well it gets dissolved if that's the case. 

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