--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
this is a little long but heres the MB cooperator article that does a real good job of explaining the letter that was sent to associations commisions and government
By Allan Dawson
co-operator staff
AManitoba farmer mounting
an effort to create one
big commodity association
says a splintered voice is not only
expensive, it could cost farmers
control of their industry.
As the number of commodity
organizations collecting checkoffs
continues to grow, a 5,000-
acre Manitoban farmer can be
paying around $20,000 a year in
checkoffs, said Danny Penner, a
Halbstadt-area farmer and former
president the Manitoba Pulse
Growers Association. He says
checkoff dollars would be better
spent on a larger, more efficient
national commodity association.
“If we continue on the road
we’re on, people are going to see
themselves putting too much
money into small-picture thinking
and they’re going to vote with
their dollars and they’re going to
take more and more money out,”
said Penner.
“If we are moving forward
and the people spending a lot of
money see there is a vision and
there is a movement and something
is going to come of this, and
the dollars they spend are going
to have a national or international
focus, I think they’ll more likely
leave their money in.”
Penner, whose father Jack was
the first president elected to lead
Keystone Agricultural Producers,
crafted his proposals after consulting
some like-minded farmers,
and then emailed them last
week to western Canadian commodity
groups, the federal and
Prairie agriculture ministers, and
several reporters.
“We are writing to request your
support for the creation of a new
producer-driven national farm
organization that would work to
solidify marketing systems for
grains, oilseeds, pulses and special
crops,” the document states.
No matter where farmers
stood on the Canadian Wheat
Board, its mandate change “left
a void” the document says. To fill
it, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and
Alberta are creating wheat and
barley associations. And there are
already winter cereal, oat, pulse
and canola associations in those
provinces.
Farmers would be better served
by a single national, or at least to
start with, western farmer-run,
commodity associations, Penner
said. Each would send representatives
to sit on the board of a single,
national farm association, which
would also elect farmers, he said.
“Then the minister of agriculture
could say, ‘I’m going to
Winnipeg and I’m going to meet
with these guys and I can cover
everything in two days rather than
travelling all across Canada trying
to get fragmented views from
each individual organization,’”
Penner said.
Subcommittees could work on
local issues, but the focus would
be on the big picture and using
economies of scale to deliver
more bang for the buck, Penner
said.
Several national commodity
groups already exist, including
the Canada Grains Council
and Canola Council of Canada.
Meanwhile, work is underway
to set up the Cereals Council of
Canada. But these groups are
dominated by “industry” representatives,
Penner said.
“We’re looking at something
that’s going to be farmer run,” he
said. “Industry has a place, but
if we allow the life science companies
to lead us... ultimately
I don’t think that’s in the best
interests of farmers and consumers
alike.”
The Grain Growers of Canada,
an umbrella organization for grain
commodity groups, could play
a role in setting up a new single,
national association because it is
farmer run, Penner said.
“But they would have to take a
really large step forward in how
they are managed and how they
would see themselves growing
into this,” he said.
Penner said the Canadian Grain
Commission could also play
a role in getting the association
going. Having a national farmerrun
association could also take
ownership of crop varieties developed
by Agriculture and Agri-
Food Canada after it pulls out of
research, Penner said. If farmers
don’t organize, those crops will
end up owned by private firms,
he said.
“I’m not calling that the end of
the world, but it doesn’t give us
any control over what we’re going
to be dealing with in 10, 15 or 20
years,” Penner said.
Penner’s document doesn’t
spell everything out and that’s
deliberate, he said. It’s meant
to be thought provoking, not
prescriptive.
So far feedback has been positive,
Penner said.
“The responses I’d say are 90
per cent on side and 10 per cent
skepticism,” he said.
“It may not happen from this
initiative, but it will happen,”
Penner predicted during an interview
March 7. “It has to happen
and if it doesn’t happen we’re
going to be in trouble because
we’re going to lose control of our
own industry.”
See Page 5 for the full text of
Penner’s pitch to fellow farmers.
allan@fbcpublishing.com
Farmers urged to
this is a little long but heres the MB cooperator article that does a real good job of explaining the letter that was sent to associations commisions and government
By Allan Dawson
co-operator staff
AManitoba farmer mounting
an effort to create one
big commodity association
says a splintered voice is not only
expensive, it could cost farmers
control of their industry.
As the number of commodity
organizations collecting checkoffs
continues to grow, a 5,000-
acre Manitoban farmer can be
paying around $20,000 a year in
checkoffs, said Danny Penner, a
Halbstadt-area farmer and former
president the Manitoba Pulse
Growers Association. He says
checkoff dollars would be better
spent on a larger, more efficient
national commodity association.
“If we continue on the road
we’re on, people are going to see
themselves putting too much
money into small-picture thinking
and they’re going to vote with
their dollars and they’re going to
take more and more money out,”
said Penner.
“If we are moving forward
and the people spending a lot of
money see there is a vision and
there is a movement and something
is going to come of this, and
the dollars they spend are going
to have a national or international
focus, I think they’ll more likely
leave their money in.”
Penner, whose father Jack was
the first president elected to lead
Keystone Agricultural Producers,
crafted his proposals after consulting
some like-minded farmers,
and then emailed them last
week to western Canadian commodity
groups, the federal and
Prairie agriculture ministers, and
several reporters.
“We are writing to request your
support for the creation of a new
producer-driven national farm
organization that would work to
solidify marketing systems for
grains, oilseeds, pulses and special
crops,” the document states.
No matter where farmers
stood on the Canadian Wheat
Board, its mandate change “left
a void” the document says. To fill
it, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and
Alberta are creating wheat and
barley associations. And there are
already winter cereal, oat, pulse
and canola associations in those
provinces.
Farmers would be better served
by a single national, or at least to
start with, western farmer-run,
commodity associations, Penner
said. Each would send representatives
to sit on the board of a single,
national farm association, which
would also elect farmers, he said.
“Then the minister of agriculture
could say, ‘I’m going to
Winnipeg and I’m going to meet
with these guys and I can cover
everything in two days rather than
travelling all across Canada trying
to get fragmented views from
each individual organization,’”
Penner said.
Subcommittees could work on
local issues, but the focus would
be on the big picture and using
economies of scale to deliver
more bang for the buck, Penner
said.
Several national commodity
groups already exist, including
the Canada Grains Council
and Canola Council of Canada.
Meanwhile, work is underway
to set up the Cereals Council of
Canada. But these groups are
dominated by “industry” representatives,
Penner said.
“We’re looking at something
that’s going to be farmer run,” he
said. “Industry has a place, but
if we allow the life science companies
to lead us... ultimately
I don’t think that’s in the best
interests of farmers and consumers
alike.”
The Grain Growers of Canada,
an umbrella organization for grain
commodity groups, could play
a role in setting up a new single,
national association because it is
farmer run, Penner said.
“But they would have to take a
really large step forward in how
they are managed and how they
would see themselves growing
into this,” he said.
Penner said the Canadian Grain
Commission could also play
a role in getting the association
going. Having a national farmerrun
association could also take
ownership of crop varieties developed
by Agriculture and Agri-
Food Canada after it pulls out of
research, Penner said. If farmers
don’t organize, those crops will
end up owned by private firms,
he said.
“I’m not calling that the end of
the world, but it doesn’t give us
any control over what we’re going
to be dealing with in 10, 15 or 20
years,” Penner said.
Penner’s document doesn’t
spell everything out and that’s
deliberate, he said. It’s meant
to be thought provoking, not
prescriptive.
So far feedback has been positive,
Penner said.
“The responses I’d say are 90
per cent on side and 10 per cent
skepticism,” he said.
“It may not happen from this
initiative, but it will happen,”
Penner predicted during an interview
March 7. “It has to happen
and if it doesn’t happen we’re
going to be in trouble because
we’re going to lose control of our
own industry.”
See Page 5 for the full text of
Penner’s pitch to fellow farmers.
allan@fbcpublishing.com
Farmers urged to
Comment