Canadians Urged to Control Their Beef Industry

SASKATOON - Aug 5/05 - SNS -- U.S. domination of Canada's slaughter industry is hurting Canadian cattle producers by removing any control they have over future trade directions for their cattle, cautions Canada Farm Direct.

"Although the border is now open to Canadian live cattle under 30 months of age, the need is greater than ever for producers to take back control of their industry," the organization said in a recent press statement. "Increasingly, American interests are dominating every facet of the Canadian beef business.

"The top four beef packing companies in Canada are Cargill, BP Tyson, XL Foods and Better Beef. Cargill and BP Tyson, two American companies, are the largest players. Now, Cargill has announced the acquisition of Better Beef in Ontario."

Such sentiments are not unique to Canada Farm Direct, with other individuals involved in Canada's beef industry holding the firm belief the industry would have recovered more quickly from the U.S. closure of the border to live cattle imports if larger number of Canadian packing plants had not been closed in the years prior to the border closure.

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