DLMS Regular Thursday Sale July 17, 2008 - 10:00am

Thursday, July 17, 2008 -- 10:00 AM MST

Seq# Lot# Head Sex Avg. Wt. Consignor Location

11 11 70 Hfrs. 900 Brian & Don Koberstein Sangudo, Alberta (Pasture)

12 12 154 Hfrs. 825 Brian & Don Koberstein Sangudo, Alberta (Pasture)

Mayerthrope Freelancer

Time is running out to qualify for funding

With the December 31 deadline just weeks away, Mayerthorpe-area livestock producers need to act quickly to qualify for their second instalment of provincial funding set to hit the mail starting in late January.

The money - part of a $300-Million transition fund called the Alberta Farm Recovery Plan II (AFRP II) - will help beef, hog and other livestock producers across Alberta, whose industries have been battered by a perfect storm of low livestock prices, high input costs, and until recently, a strong Canadian dollar.

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Beef producer Don Koberstein is no fan of extra paperwork, but says he has no problem complying with the AFRP II requirements. “Traceability is Step 1 in providing some accountability through the system and ensuring greater food safety,” says Koberstein, who runs a 900-head cow-calf operation near Barrhead. “I’ve been age verifying 1,000 calves for two years. It doesn’t take much time. I just pick up a block of tags with the numbers in sequence, tag the calves, and record that calving ran from April 1 to July 7. My tag supplier inputs it all into the computer and I’m done. We’ve gotten excellent responses from people buying the cattle, because they are age-verified. It’s been a financially responsible move.”

“This funding is badly needed,” he adds. “Cattle farmers really have faced a perfect storm over the years with drought, BSE, high input costs, and an unprecedented rise of the Canadian dollar. It’s left us very vulnerable.”

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