Most every cattleman would agree—except for the ones that are in bed with the packer and retailer—that the only ones making any money in the cattle business are packers and retailers. And they are getting filthy rich at our expense.
The futures market completely controls our business and dictates what feeders and fats will bring but has nothing to do with price of beef or what they get for our product. So on Monday morning all of a sudden cattle as far as feeders and calves were worth $100 per head less than they were the week before. There was an oil war between Russia and Saudi Arabia and guess what, Saudi said, “I will show you who is boss.” Coupled with the fact of the coronavirus being a problem. Yes, it is a problem but the flu is still killing more. And if you don’t think politics is entering into coronavirus then you are naïve enough—come by and let me sell you something.
All but one of the big news stations can’t stand Trump and they would gladly tank the economy to get him out of there even if breaks you in the meantime. And any negative news they can put out there until election is going to be there and be a big deal.
Here is a challenge for the beef checkoff and every individual state cattle organization—I suggest you take half the money you are spending on advertisement and spend it trying to get a fair market situation for the individual cattleman. I ask you—do you have the guts to do that?
I went to a baseball game last night. And yes, I was getting a little mouthy about the way the umpire was calling. Finally the umpire turned around and pointed at me and said—“You buddy—you go stand somewhere I can’t see you.” So I went and stood on home plate.
I went to the cemetery last week and the was a man wailing and he was knelt at a grave saying, “Why did you die?” I hated to bother this man but he just kept going on and on, crying and crying.
I finally walked up to him and put my hand on his shoulder and said, “I hate to interrupt, but who died? Was it a son? Or your wife? Or who?”
He said, “No it was my wife’s first husband.”
Editor’s note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
