With farmers across the West now paying two
checkoffs for wheat and barley, it is time to take a
serious look at where this money is going. At $1 a
tonne for wheat and $1 a tonne for barley, total
producer checkoffs from the bumper crop in 2013
could exceed $40 million this year. That's not
including research investments through the WGRF
endowment fund (also farmers money). Is $40 or
$50 million per year enough to run a wheat and
barley breeding program? Most definitely. Just
imagine a cereal breeding program totally owned
and controlled by farmers. Suddenly, UPOV 91
doesn't look quite so bad. Bottom line: there's a big
pot of farmer's money up for grabs and you better
believe that life science companies are trying to get
their hands on it. Time for producers to ask a
serious questions about how their money is being
spent.
checkoffs for wheat and barley, it is time to take a
serious look at where this money is going. At $1 a
tonne for wheat and $1 a tonne for barley, total
producer checkoffs from the bumper crop in 2013
could exceed $40 million this year. That's not
including research investments through the WGRF
endowment fund (also farmers money). Is $40 or
$50 million per year enough to run a wheat and
barley breeding program? Most definitely. Just
imagine a cereal breeding program totally owned
and controlled by farmers. Suddenly, UPOV 91
doesn't look quite so bad. Bottom line: there's a big
pot of farmer's money up for grabs and you better
believe that life science companies are trying to get
their hands on it. Time for producers to ask a
serious questions about how their money is being
spent.