Cattlemen too tied to US, says ag lobbyist

[CHIMO]

REGINA - The president of Saskatchewan's Agricultural Producers Association says cattle ranchers can't keep hoping the U.S. border will reopen to Canadian beef. Instead, he says, they need to work with Ottawa to become more independent, especially when it comes to slaughter.
"Our biggest problem now is we can't process what we produce," says Terry Hildebrandt. "We've become too reliant on other countries, mainly the United States."
Hildebrandt says eventually the primary cattle producers want to see the government investing in slaughterhouses. And he promises that when the new federal government sets up shop in the House of Commons, the cattlemen will be there to make themselves heard.

http://sask.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=06232004cattleJune232004

The NDP and Liberals are missing a huge opportunity here. Right now.