Canadian car dealer accepts cattle as trade-in

March 1, 2005
Meatingplace.com 
Pete Hisey

Ranchers devastated by the U.S. embargo on Canadian cattle can use a portion of their stockpiled cattle as trade-ins in the purchase of new trucks or automobiles. At least they can at Cochrane Dodge Chrysler in Cochrane, Alberta. For the next two weeks, farmers can trade 10 head of cattle toward the purchase of a diesel truck, five head of cattle toward the purchase of a gasoline-powered truck, and one or two head toward the purchase of a car. An appraiser will be on-premises to determine the fair market value of the cattle.

"These farmers have been sitting on the cattle for close to two years," Corry Baum, sales manager, told The Canadian Press. "We're just doing something to try to help them out." Baum said the dealership will resell the cattle to local ranchers at a loss.