Where's The Beef?
- Bob Smith
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
"The U.S. cattle herd is depleting primarily due to severe, multi-year droughts that dried up grazing lands, forcing ranchers to sell off animals, compounded by high feed costs, disease threats (like the New World screwworm), and structural shifts favoring imports, leading to the smallest herd size in over 70 years, despite record high prices for beef."
Where's the beef? Well, not in America. Lots of reasons are given, a worm found in 3 cattle from Mexico, has shut the border for cattle imports, a drought that caused a hay shortage, and increasing instability with beef prices, (which are now skyrocketing).
And what about the cheap labor pool? The one that has existed for the last 100 years that is now gone, or soon will be. We are talking about the undocumented Mexicans that have lived in the US for decades, farming, ranching, picking cotton and strawberries. Who will do these jobs now? True blue, gun toting Americans? I don't think so. Not for the miniscule wages farmers have doled out to boost profits.
Because of US policy, the price of everything from new homes, to T-Bone steak will rise. Even if the US could manufacture a lot of stuff at home, they still don't have any trees left to cut or build with, and we in Canada, have lots, but can't afford to run the mills because of the punitive Tariffs' levied by the new draconian President.
But we have our own problems here in Canada, partially caused by Tariffs, and other threats to our Economy.
In a small British Columbia town, of a little over 2000 people, the last big moneymaker, is shutting down. The last lumber mill, West Fraser is closing permanently, putting 165 people out of work.
And this is not the only location. For several years, mills, pulp mills, and pellet plants have been shutting shifts, and closing completely, including Port Alberni, and the complete closure of the pulp mill in Crofton,
Putting 300 people out of work, and Williams lake is losing a pellet mill plant, as they cannot get any supply to make their product, putting some 50 out on the street. Merry Christmas, Province of BC.
And the stock market just keeps booming ahead... for now... more in my next post...
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