The Rural Voice, 1981-03, Page 29VOICE OF A FARMER
The end of feed lots?
BY ADRIAN VOS
A report in the daily press said recently one reason for the
rather sluggish movement of beef is the considerable difference
in mark-up between beef and pork from farm to meat counter.
Assuming the figures to be correct, and allowing for the
difficulty of comparing apples and oranges. it appears there may
be other reasons for the drastic decline in beef consumption. the
mark-up difference only one of them.
The total cost of living index stands 11.2 per cent above last
year's. The food index is higher, and is expected to be 14 per
cent in 1981. In contrast, average weekly earnings, as reported
by the Financial Post, are not keeping pace with this and are up
only 9.7 per cent, a net loss for the average person of 1.5 per
cent.
Consumers doing the shopping see the price of food steadily
go up. forcing them to make do with less. Is it any wonder that
they frequently by-pass beef steaks to buy the lower-priced pork
chops?
In the last two years, many families have learned pork can be
as tasty as beef if properly prepared. Even when pork prices
climb again in relation to beef. a number of these new converts
‘v ill keep some pork on the menu.
Personally, I don't believe that fed beef has much of a future.
The rapidly increasing world population will continue to drive the
price of grains gradually higher, and feedlot cattle won't be able
to compete in the not too distant future. Grass-fed cattle from
fields not suitable for grain production and dairy beef will be the
suppliers of beef for our tables.
Yes, I know that new processes are under development to
convert woodchips into ethanol and cattle feed. but it is still more
economical to grow grass on those hills than hybrid poplars.
Even if these should live up to expectations, they still must go
through a manufacturing process.
When, not if. we have reached that period, pork production
will go the sante way. Development of new bloodlines, with more
efficient converters of grains into meat. will delay the process for
some time, but then pork too will become a luxury product that
few can afford.
Pasturing the hogs won't work because a hog, not being a
grazing animal but a rooter. destroys his own tuture food supply.
That leaves red meat production to sheep. The world will have ,
come full circle. Sheen were the first domesticated animals that
provided us with food and clothing since Abel tended his flock as
reported in the Bible.
Sheep can feed where cattle can't.
There is another meat that will survive the grain crisis. That is
the lowly chicken. For the same reasons as the decline of beef
and pork, the broiler chicken will disappear. Scott's chicken
restaurants will have to buy their supplies from the egg
producer. The highly efficient laying hen produces a perfect
protein and when her laying days are over, leaves us with a still
tender carcass. The hen actually produces about as much protein
as it consumes, l've been told.
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THE RURAL VOICE/MARCH 1981 PG. 23