Farmers have always gotten the short end of the deal. Feeding is expensive, grain cost more than ever to sow and harvest, buying it from someone is outrageous. Vaccinations, Vet, supplies, hay, silage, it all adds up. I wont even go into dairy's! They have to have such sanitized conditions, they feed WAY more silage, hay and grain than beef cattle, hired hands, how about your own labor? The cattle market has slipped during this so-called recession (some of which I think would go away if its not talked about so much, people panic, stop buying...)
Now Legislation introduced this week to prevent a "cow tax" on farmers and ranchers. In a letter from the bill's sponsors AFBF ( American Farm bureau Federation) commended their bipartisan efforts and said the organization would work with them to ensure that the legislation gains broad support.
This is the low-down on this proposed bill :
EPA wants to regulate greenhouse gas emissions (GHG's) under the act. They want farmers to have permits, automatically resulting mandatory fees - just to have cattle.
The AFBF calculated that it could cost farmers and ranchers $175.oo per dairy cow, $87.50 per beef cow and $21.87 per hog. WHAT???!!!
I guess since cattle emit so much gas they are blaming them for the green house effect...well in fact that is what they say!!! The reaction from farmers and ranchers they say was immediate and has them all in a uproar. With the ongoing expense that farmers face each day just to raise cattle and the payback when sold is so small as it is, and now they want to face even more. The majority of farms dont make much profit, they live paycheck to paycheck like many other people in the world, but their paycheck is just a few times a year (if they crop too), only once if they only have cattle..they have to make the money last the entire year, most running on operating notes from their banks. And these days, lenders dont consider farming a "real job".
Wow, they want to sock it to em as hard as they can!
Unfair, not right.
Some bleeding hearts out there who want to save all the cattle as going to do harm to the cattle just like they have done the horse industry. We have an over abundance of horses that people cant feed or house and who are left to starve, set free to fend for themselves, and not many people who have the resources to rescue these precious animals.
Now with this bill the same would happen to cattle and hogs. Farmers wont be able to afford to farm...cows will be in the same predicament as the horses. I wonder if these bleeding hears have the space to house, and feed, and pay for Vet bills, these cattle. I doubt so, I imagine that they have a little 1 acre lot with their house taking up most of that space. Even if they had the room...all the cattle in the country multiplying like rabbits would then have them overrun, such as in India who regard the cows as sacred and now have so many cattle running the streets and everywhere they can get into that its a problem.
Oh someone must have been to New Zealand then and read a very stupid piece of proposed legislation that was referred to by our irate farmers as FART Tax. So here I am reading exactly about the same thing that was hastily dropped by the now previous government after strong protests from Federated Farmers and related groups. Someone hasn't done their research then very well have they and instead has decided to try to impose a stupid unrealistic tax upon you guys. On this one I concur. Instead the Federal Government should be concentrating on developing alternative fuel sources and employment solutions for the rural sectors. Our current government has decided to spend millions of dollars on cycle ways for tourists. How stupid is that?
ReplyDeleteThat's nothing, I was just going to mention the FART tax but Liz beat me to it. Sometimes government officials think up the stupidest weirdest thing to get more money in the coffers *sigh*
ReplyDeleteWell said liz....cycle ways??? About as dumb as the FART tax! LOL I love that...Fart tax! he he he!
ReplyDeleteYou got that right Amy....I think they all need a little more to do dont you? They are obviously bored!
Rae