1/10 A simplified beef cattle production 101 for folks who aren't in the ag business, but want to understand why beef farmers are in a crisis: The production cycle typically starts around May/June/July when most farmers put their bulls with their cows. #cdnpoli @CdnCattlemen

2/10 A typical cow pregnancy is similar to a human: 9 months to produce a single calf. Beef farmers work all hours of the day & night Feb/Mar/Apr ensuring calves are born safely. The calves typically spend summer on pasture w momma cow. Momma cow will be getting pregnant again.

3/10 Calves are sold in the fall to a feeder who will feed them a diet intended to get them to a target weight and target quality (Prime, AAA, etc) for delivery to a packer on a target date. The feeders and packers are trying to time the production to ensure year-round supply.

4/10 The optimal delivery date (when cattle have to move from feeder to packer) is a result of all the earlier steps in the production process. When packing capacity suddenly disappears without warning, there are still about a year's worth of live cattle still in the pipeline.

5/10 The closer the cattle are to their target weight and delivery date, the less the feeder is able to adjust the target. If packing space is not available on the target date, the animal still has to be fed and cared for in space intended for another younger animal coming in.

6/10 If the cattle exceed the target weight, its meat quality can decline is less desirable for the packer.... so the value of animal goes down. Result is the cattle feeder is hit with higher costs and lower revenue. Losses of $200 or more per head can happen very quickly.

7/10 The prospect of these losses work their way into the decision making of the beef farmer back at the start of the process. He/She is worried that next fall, feeders won't be able to pay much for the calves already born this spring.

8/10 Concern over expected losses next fall may cause some farmers to not want to put the bulls with the cows this summer. Instead, they may decide to send the non-pregnant momma cows to a butcher, so the beef production system loses every potential future calf from that cow.

9/10 In sum, while consumers may not see beef shortages immediately due to the COVID packer reductions, if the Govt doesn't step in now with assistance to help at all stages of the process, decisions will be made by desperate farmers that will be felt by consumers for years.

10/10 I know this is oversimplified & won't match every farmer's operation, but it prob covers >80% of Canadian beef production. Now is not the time to quibble about differences in everyone's production. It is the time to help #cdnpoli & the public understand the need for help.