Good Morning List Friends,
I am forwarding a link to the MeatingPlace internet newsletter of web
publications for the red meat and poultry processing industries:
http://www.Meatingplace.com/
The website has a link to "daily news" of the industry:
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/init.asp
Access to the daily news requires a free, one time, registration which
can be found at:
http://www.meatingplace.com/membership/init.asp
I am forwarding this information because today's news has an interesting
story -"AMI fires Murphy in wake of BSE controversy". Apparently they
fired Dan Murphy, vice president for public affairs, following a recent
spate of "controversial statements in the media"
Apparently the "controversial statements" included, to quote:
"comments published in the Feb. 29 edition of the Seattle Times, in
which Murphy said BSE has not had an adverse economic impact on the
industry and in fact created "almost a windfall" of profits for some
segments, citing Tyson Foods latest quarterly profits. Of the economic
fallout due to BSE, Murphy said, "you've got to question how severe it
is."
"He also said it is unrealistic for consumers to expect a BSE-induced
reduction in meat prices. "No supermarket
operator is going to lower prices as long as the meat case is getting
cleaned out every week," Murphy said.
"They'll say, 'Hey baby, these price points aren't changing one bit.'">
These comments are similar to many currently circlating here in Alberta
- where the impacts on the feedlot and cow/calf sectors are horrendous;
but packers don't seem to have suffered much, to put it mildly.
The MeatingPlace website also has an email service which sends
subscribers a daily alert to their news articles. They provide an
interesting insight to the meat industry in the U.S..
Thought many of you might be interested.
Regards
Ross Gould, P.Ag. (Retired)
Calgary, Alberta
