Posted on 08/25/2004 6:18:52 AM PDT by prairiebreeze
Presidential Candidate John Kerry has pledged his support for efforts to ban meat packers’ ability to own livestock, Bloomberg reports.
According to his Web site, “As president, John Kerry will fight for a balanced ban on packer ownership to protect small, family farmers.” The web site also says, “Over the last decade this problem has been compounded by vertical integration by corporate farms, which allows them to control most or all aspects of production.”
In response, AMI President J. Patrick Boyle said, “Senator John Kerry's support for banning packers' ability to own livestock is misguided. Packers take their cues from their customers -- retailers and foodservice operators -- who want to deliver what consumers demand. Consumers are asking for more consistent products from purchase to purchase. These signals have prompted some packers to raise portions of their own livestock supplies so that a branded pork tenderloin or bacon wrapped filet mignon tastes the same this week as it did last week.”
Boyle also questioned why the meat industry is being singled out on the vertical integration issue. “Numerous industries nationwide have been integrating vertically and routinely utilizing long term supply contracts to enhance quality and meet consumer demand.”
Noting that many economic analyses have shown that a ban on packers’ ability to own livestock would hurt – not help -- producers Boyle said that if packers were forced to divest their livestock holdings, the market would quickly be flooded with livestock and prices paid to producers would drop precipitously.
“This kind of protectionism might win a few votes in a tight campaign, but it will cost America’s farmers dearly in the long run, because America needs economies of scale to remain competitive in the global market,” Boyle said.
Prairie
ping
Kerry is a farmer at heart, he did try to thrash rice with a grenade.
I can`t read those four words without getting naseous.
So what's Green Bay going to do for an offensive line? ;)
Proving once again the Kerry motto "Tell me what you want to hear and I will say it."
huh???? this is the lamest idea yet. If he wants to improve the quality of meat and to give small farms a boost, he should put strict restrictions on antibiotics--which will be necessary anyway because of superbugs. Commercial farms pump cows full of hormones in corrals where they can barely move, and instead of bothering to do a little hygiene they pump them full of antibiotics too. About 2/3rds of the antibiotics used in the USA are in farms.
All Cambodian Secret Agent Hat and no cattle.
Kerry's stance on Verticle Integration mirrors the stance Terrrrrrrreeeeeeeezzzzzzzzza's group, the Tides Foundation is supporting. The Tides Foundation funds several small groups who hold this same position.
Go, Pack, Go!
LOL
On first and ten the coach had an overweight lineman. He stated the scale only goes to three hundred fifty pounds.
This is where humans leave off and livestock begins.
The other linemen replied "MOO".
In other words, Kerry wants to raise the price of meat.
Won't this "pinch" the middle class consumer? :)
As a matter of fairness I want to point out that I view the entire question to be:
Do you want the American meat supply to be totally controled, from birth to the plate, by a small group of meat packers.
I want to know which pollster told him THIS was an issue that made a difference.
"Do you want the American meat supply to be totally controled, from birth to the plate, by a small group of meat packers."
Sure, because if they do a bad job, then others will enter the market who can do better.
I guess you want to hurt the ability of us meat producers to compete in the world market as well?
Do you think the horsewhip and buggy industries should have been similarly protected? After all, there used to be thousands of whip and buggy manufacturers. Now there are just a handfull of auto manufacturers.
Regardless of how fertile you think it might be, trying to plant rice in your butt never works. (not speaking from experience)
ping
Hey, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you or with anyone else. I'm simply stating what I view the real question is. Many people at FR don't know what the term "verticle integration" means.
If you think I misstated the question, I invite a correction.
ping!
That dumbo would not know a cow from a donkey. All the sudden he is an expert on family farms.
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