Ontario Rabbit Producers

[ladysown]

Proposed legislation change for Ontario Rabbit Produces.

the Ontario Commerical rabbit growers association has legislation before the government which would allow them to collect 25 cents plus HST for any rabbit that you sell through a processor, depot or sale barn.

You can read about it here http://www.ontariorabbit.ca/producers/FP Consultation meeting 14.06.11.pdf

Whether or not this affects you... it is something that we should be alert to.

From what I understand they want to use this money in order to finance their abilities to have more of a standing in Ontario to help with marketing and such like.

From the way I see it there are pros and cons to the proposed idea.

Personally I don't want to see 30 cents of my hard earned money disappearing every time I sell a rabbit through an intemediary. (spelling ?) But having more of an effective presence in this day and age of animal rights activists I don't see as a bad thing either.

so i"m not sure of which way I would vote on this.

 

[Brody]

that's interesting ... is that how other similar associations are funded? If so it seems to be giving commercial rabbit raisers some standing which is a good thing .. but its also a blatant cash grab/tax/extortion which is not such a good thing - I can see why you are confused ...

 

[ladysown]

talked with the fellow in opposition to it.

his reason for opposing it.

1. price per rabbit is incremental. so no guarantee that it will stay at 25 cents + HST per rabbit sold.
2. two sales barns have already told him if it goes through, they don't need the headache of the paperwork and therefore simply won't accept rabbit sales any more.
3. for three years they won't be doing anything with the money except banking it.
4. it means the people who buy (since they have to pay that fee) will pass that along to their customers which means they'll drop their buying rates by 25 cents.

THE ONLY thing that will be exempt are private sales.

BUT the problem I see is... what about all those small breeders who depend on the sales barns? and the sales barns say NIX on this!

What are they going to do with their retired stock? Their excess babies? are they going to release them? dump them? overcrowd because they can't sell them? Will it drive people out of this hobby? Granted, there are people who shouldn't BE in the hobby (as evidenced by some of the poor stock I see there) but there are some GOOD rabbits at the barns...what happens to them?

right now they are working hard to find small growers and anyone who raises rabbits who might be interested. SO>.. if you are interested in knowing more PLEASE contact me and I'll give you the fellow's number and we can go on from there.

 

[MaggieJ]

Why are you posting this in in the Meat Rabbit forum, Ladysown? Surely it is going to hit show and pet rabbit people just as hard if they use sale barns for their surplus rabbits and culls. I can move it or you could double post in a more general forum if you wish.

 

[ladysown]

because I had no idea where to post it. move it to where you think best, I'm good with that.

 

[MaggieJ]

I think more people will see it in Random Rabbit Ramblings, since a lot of pet and show people don't come to the Meat Rabbits forum. But you're right... there isn't a category that really suits topics of this sort.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

I think this will only affect large meat producers.. this has nothing to do with show or pet sellers. However a big WOW!! Thats actually a lot of money being asked for especially from a larger meat producer; somewhere around $1200 annually! They claim it represents the least of operating expenses, but in truth it is an ADDITIONAL expense and that's a lot of dough. They claim they will speak for the producer but not enough is being said about how that money will make anything "better". I think the biggest roadblock right now in Ontario is total lack of processing facilities in enough regions. If i want to produce commercially i have to drive to Arthur which is about 3 hours away or to Woodbridge which is about 2. Would they actually actively market rabbit and increase demand?In other words could I take rabbits into the processor and KNOW they will be sold through the board, or will I still have to find buyers on my own? Not much in that paper on that, just how much they are going to rake in... which not going to sell me anytime soon !

As for the Sales barns I really think the pet sellers and show people will be able to sell their rabbits privately to the same people who could no longer source them at the Sales barns. It just might take a little bit more work is all.Don't the sales barn already deal with paperwork for other livestock already?

 

[ladysown]

Thing is I just don't know. there are too many unanswered questions in regard to the small consumer.

 

[sammysue63]

Ok so now we will have money going to pay the administrative staff, because you know they are not going to work for free. How many people will be paid, how much, to do what jobs and where? Are they going to need an office, supplies, furniture? When all is said and done how much is left for marketing the rabbits? You are very right ladysown way too many questions.

 

[Pheasant283]

This sounds like something similar to the Beef check off dollar here in the USA. Where they take $1 from every head sold in sale barn and use that $ to advertise and promote Beef. This could be very good for the rabbit industry if that is what they are going to do with it.

 

[MaggieJ]

Uh... a dollar off the price of a steer is a lot different than 25 cents off the cost of a rabbit. Figure it in terms of percentage!

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

I think marketing Boards are much like labour unions... it is based on a very good idea in the beginning, but can go wrong very quickly in so many ways. Isn't Harper trying to get rid of the Wheat marketing board??? I mean the Feds seem to be suddenly opposed to marketing boards on the whole.

There is very little profit margin in raising rabbits so this 30 cents a head IS a big deal, not like cattle that go for hundreds of dollars a head.

 

[ONRabbit]

Ontario Rabbit(OR) works very hard on behalf of all rabbit producers in Ontario. Regardless if you are a member or not. Because of Ontario Rabbit, rabbits now have a seat at the table with government, they now have access to funding for many exciting projects. For example OR has a very exciting project underway on artificial insemination for rabbits in Ontario. This is one example of a project to help rabbits become more profitable. OR just completed a six month cost of production workshop series, do you know your costs? How do you know what you can afford if you don't have a good handle on costs. Recently ALL producer members of Ontario Rabbit were mailed a book on rabbit husbandry at no charge. We were able to access government funding to help improve the health and welfare of Ontario Rabbits.

Just to be clear Ontario Rabbit is not a marketing board in the sense you will call us to market your rabbits, each producer is still responsible for marketing their own rabbits to processing plants. OR will be responsible for marketing campaigns to promote rabbit to increase consumption. In Canada the conusmption of rabbit meat is only 22.7g per person, as a rabbit producer would you not like to see that consumption rate increase?

This does not affect the pet rabbit industry as they do not market their rabbits for meat.

 

[mi_ku]

That's all fine and dandy but people deserve a choice in the matter. They shouldn't be forced to pay a large percentage of their profits to your or any other group. If you took a different approach, perhaps more people would willingly join and help further the cause.

 

[MaggieJ]

I don't see why non-members of Ontario Rabbits should be expected to fund the organization's projects. The organization may feel it is working for the good of the rabbit industry in Ontario, but I do not agree with compulsory contributions of this type. It won't affect me personally, because I raise rabbits only for our own table, but I am definitely opposed to the principle.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

I don't see why non-members of Ontario Rabbits should be expected to fund the organization's projects. The organization may feel it is working for the good of the rabbit industry in Ontario, but I do not agree with compulsory contributions of this type. It won't affect me personally, because I raise rabbits only for our own table, but I am definitely opposed to the principle.

I agree with Maggie. However I would like to take my rabbits to a processor in the future for my OWN consumption, why should I pay what amounts to a private organization for a transaction between myself and a processor? As a non member I have not had any input as to how that money would be spent. As to the Gov. grants, I know that this would not be the first time there has been one. What happened with the previous grant monies that were to be spent marketing rabbit? I also don't believe any of us are actually interested in the artificial insemination angle, as it is very easy to keep a buck (and cheap) and very little hassle to breed a doe to said buck. AI will probably involve a lot of paperwork and hoopla and ADDED EXPENSE from having to call up the AI guy like one does with a herd of cattle. AI would mean that one would also have to breed a large number of does at one time to make that work, which means a barn would only have fryers available once every 8 weeks or so, instead of on a continual or weekly basis.
I also do believe that most of us already know exactly how much it costs for production.