Barley County AB Barely Commission Sept 2011

[charliep]

TOM4CWB

Your posting above here highlighted the risk of doing nothing and
continuing to live in a commodity world with no innovation/research.
Russia, Ukraine, Kazakstan, etc (non traditional exporters) are coming
on like gang busters with improvements in productivity setting the
stage for the world cereal markets. Continuing on our current course
means we are going to go head to head with them in the future (starting
this year). These countries are getting their act together on a whole
bunch of fronts including quality, logistics, phytosanity, etc. Not rock
science. Just doing what Canada does.

Aging population equals the need for more fibre in North America.
Barley beta glutens equals healthier bowels. An opportunity.

[checking]

Charliep.

You make the interesting comment that "barley is important for the Alberta livestock industry, the malt industry, and aging population diet, feeding the world, and ..." I imagine that you might agree that the primary producer is only a small fraction of this barley importance, so ABC will be collecting checkoffs from all barley chain users, right? Do you have a breakdown of percentages of each contributing group?

[charliep]

Can't answer that question directly. Will note the power of
commissions is partnering with other producer groups (eg. WGRF,
CWB, livestock groups, etc), government and private industry. From
the Alberta Barley Commission website, they have been able to lever
their funds 12 times (every dollar of ABC funding results in $12
invested in research and other activities). Dollars investment gives
farmers a say in research activities. Leverage expands the magnitude
of what can be accomplished.

Example in Alberta. Both Alberta Beef Producers and Alberta Barley
Commission are active investors in the Lacombe feed barley breeding
programs. Plant breeders use this basic funding to go out and find
more dollars for their programs.

[wilagro]

Tom, your list of licensed Dealers that remit levy to the Alberta Barley Commission is no doubt accurate.
The problem for the ABC was that these people were NOT remitting the funds or portion thereof.

The ABC published an article not long ago trying to get these people to comply.

Without the power to audit the books, how could they even hope to acquire their DUE funds.

In a way its somewhat like the Mafia and their collection of "protection money" without the enforcers.

Any government that forces a group of people to contribute to a "special interest group" such as the ABC is in my view overstepping their authority to govern even if the provision is there to ask for a refund of these monies.

[charliep]

Why don't these same principles apply to the CWB and to be specific barley?

To ask the question again, how much barley money has been parked and used in the contingincy fund?

I note the CWB is a partner is many of the ABC projects (annual reports). Want level of accountability does the CWB have for these investments (albeit in partnership with ABC)?

[charliep]

wilagro

Do you differentiate the method of collection/use of funds for Western Grain Research Foundation and Alberta Barley Commission? If you do, what makes WGRF different?

The question is specific to barley given WGRF collects wheat checkoffs for CWRS, CPS, durum in Alberta.

I think (hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong) Alberta Winter Wheat Growers Commission and Alberta Soft Wheat Growers Commission collect from farmers as well and not WGRF.

[wilagro]

charlie: No difference...its all crooked.

[wd9]

Wilagro, you may be right as in no need for the ABC. What it will be called is the ACPC number 2! The Alberta Cereal Producers Commision and consolidate all 57 boards into 1 org.

Soon to follow the Canadian Cereals Council (CCC number 2)

ACPC number 1 can be the Alberta Oilseed Producers Commission.

confusing acronyms i know!

[parsley]

wd is the king of master planners. Now tell us
what you have planned for land when u have
checkoffed every plant and seed hmmmm
..........Checkoffs similar to APAS in Sask for a
farm organization,and extracted at the county
level? And all in the name of and for
"innovation"? Whats the limit for checkoffs? Or
is that to be decided by the folks smarter than
stupid farmer-funders? Pars

[wd9]

Each farmer decide their own as they are refundable. Bad morning parsely?