f
Canadian Cattleman:
Border Closing Is ‘Huge Blow’
(Continued from Page A 1)
Since a case of BSE was dis
covered in one cow in Alberta in
May, the border has been closed
to any live Canadian cattle com
ing into the U.S.
“The BSE deal is such a huge
blow,” Hirsche said. “We (the
U.S. and Canada) are so inter
twined, when you pull one arm
out of it, the whole industry is
out of whack.”
Beef consumption in Canada
has increased more than 60 per
cent since the crisis began,
Hirsche said. Stepped-up promo
tion and supportive consumers
are the reasons. But that extra
demand hasn’t solved what
Hirsche sees as the biggest prob
lem the accumulation of cull
bulls in the country.
Beef imports have actually in
creased in Canada to meet de
mand, while Canadian cull bulls
are being held by ranchers sim
ply because there is no place to
slaughter them, according to
Hirsche.
“In July and August we have
SOY-BASED BIODIESEL.
You grow soybeans* Your soybean checkoff helped develop
soy-based biodiesel Government and industry studies show
it’s good for your engines, the environment, and U.S. farmers.
Farmers are the second-largest consumers of diesel fuel
in the U.S. So when you request biodiesel, fuel suppliers will listen.
Ask your fuel supplier to carry B 2 - a two-percent blend of pure,
ASTM D-6751 quality soy-based biodiesel. It’s available throughout
the United States, so why not ask for it and use it?
Using B 2 on your farm supports the industry’s growth, by increasing
the number of suppliers for high-quality biodiesel fuel. And, a B 2
blend provides increased lubricity for your engines, a boost in cetane,
and reduced dependence on foreign oil
more than 50 million bushels of soybeans per year - the combined
2001 annual soybean harvests of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and New York. Imagine the potential.
Delaware, Maryland & Pennsylvania Biodiesel Sources
Call ahead to ensure availability and biodiesel blends offered.
This list has been compiled by the soybean checkoff boards to help promote
biodiesel use in the Mid-Atlantic. If your biodiesel supplier is not listed, have
them call us at (571) 333-0108.
For more information about clean-buming,
ASTM D-6751 quality biodiesel, including
suppliers in Virginia & other states, visit:
www.biodiesel.org
imported more beef from the
U.S. and Australia then ever be
fore,” he said.
Most packing plants in Cana
da are only equipped to process
finished steers and heifers, not
the much bigger cull bulls,
Hirsche said. Before the border
closing, cull bulls were generally
shipped to U.S. packing plants.
According to Hirsche, the
problem started five years ago
when major U.S. packers built
facilities in Canada specifically
for handling finished cattle.
“We (had) not killed a cull
bull in Canada for five years,”
Hirsche said, noting that one
small packing facility in Quebec
was opened this summer to han
dle cull bulls.
Hirsche estimated “probably
thousands” of cull bulls are
awaiting slaughter in his coun
try, along with some cull cows.
Government subsidies for pro
ducers and packers were quickly
used up when live finished cattle
prices plummeted from $lOO to
$3B a hundredweight about a
month after the BSE was report
ed.
Studies show that if every farmer used 82, we could utilize
ASK FOR IT.
Bare Truck Center, Westminster, Md. - (410) 840-0666
Clements Fuels - Clayton, Del. - (302) 653-2800
Easton Amoco, Easton, Md. - (410) 822-7650
Export Fuel Company - Export, Pa. - (724) 468-4185
—Courtesy Service Station/Kilduff Oil, Heathsville, VA (804) 580-8888
7 / Kilduff Oil - Reedville, VA - (888) 276-3320
7 L ~i Noblett Oil - Kilmarnock, VA - (800) 535-0084
Peninsula Oil - (302) 629-3001 Ext. 1
Pep-Up in Georgetown, Del. (302) 856-2555
Southern States Cooperatives - ask your local manager about availability.
Taylorsville Shell/Tevis Oil Co. - New Windsor, Md. - (410) 875-0202
Tevis Oil - Westminster, Md. - (410) 848-4433
Tri-Gas & Oil, Federalsburg, Md. - (800) 638-7802 X 1076
Uncle Willie’s gas stations in Bridgeville, Millsboro and Woodside, Del.
Worley & Obetz - Manheim, Pa. - (717) 665-6891
who// yS
“All the subsidies are gone,”
Hirsche said. “As a producer, I
have not gotten one cent.”
An Oct. 21, USDA market
summary reported
1,000-1,200-pound direct-sale se
lect slaughter steers in Alberta
sold for $6O a hundredweight.
Select slaughter steers at Ontario
auctions went for $52 a hundred
weight.
Meanwhile, U.S. live cattle
prices soared above $lOO a hun
dredweight, peaking at
$l2O-$l3O the week that ended
Oct. 17.
“Americans don’t realize how
integrated we are into the sys
tem,” Hirsche said. “And Cana
dians don’t either, nor did we
care that much (before the crisis
hit).”
To give an example of the de
gree of crackdown, Hirsche said
he had a friend traveling from
Canada to the U.S. with a
McDonald’s hamburger and
the customs officer at the border
made him throw it out.
“It’s been a real nightmare,”
Hirsche said.
PUMP IT.
PROFIT.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 25, 2003-A3l
Vie Salute Our Farming Industry
AGRICULTURAL
ENGINEERING
CONSULTANTS
“CALL US TO DESIGN YOUD
NEAT BUILDING PROJECT
FARMSTEAD PLANNING
BUILDING DESIGN
BLUEPRINT DRAFTING
VENTILATION DESIGN
DAIRY FACILITIES DESIGN
Timber Tech Engineering, Inc.
22 Denver Rd., Suite B-2
Denver, PA 17517
PH: (717) 335-2750
FAX: (717) 335-2753
visit our web site: www.timbertecheng.com
or E-mail us - trr@timbertecheng.com
TTD 3
timbertech
ENGINEERING