Useless Alberta Barley Commission

[parsley]

nsffarms

You deserve a bottle of ice wine for that commentary.

Parsley

[wd9]

The question still outstanding which Charlie and others have asked is what is the vision of barley in the eyes of the ABC? Given the time elapsed and lack of vision posted, I fear there is none!

[nakodo]

Here is an excerpt from the ABC Business plan

Vision Statement

A vibrant and innovative industry that unlocks the entire potential of barley.

• A complete system for all crops, (but especially barley and cereals) in this province that has farmers growing crops for specific end use products that customers and industry want and need. For instance with barley:
o soluble fiber for healthy beverages,
o tocols for cosmetics,
o low phytate feed barleys for environmental improvements and
o unique varieties for beer in Japan, just to name a few

• This will require an overall strategy to look at those final needs first, and design a system that supplies the final crop product to meet them, while ensuring everyone involved has the opportunity to succeed.
o We cannot have one sector continually succeeding at the expense of another or there will be no long-term sustainability of the system.

• To get there we first need to identify those needs using all available sources - AAFRD, producer organizations like the ABC, researchers and especially industry.
o Before something gets bred for development, and grown by farmers, it should have an end use that pays enough to make it worth growing in the first place.
o We can no longer afford to use a shotgun approach for growing and using crops.

• We need to find out what is involved in the development and selection of those varieties to suit those market requests, be it for turkey rations, barley for Shochu in Japan, or ingredients in functional foods.
o It takes a number of years to get a new variety or crop tailored for use, and we will have to be looking to the future needs for these crops to have them ready in time.

• We need to have a good understanding of the agronomics for those new crops and their end uses,
o should they be raised in cold climate, under wet harsh conditions to concentrate the active ingredients, or under irrigation in the Palliser triangle to produce the most starch per acre possible for alcohol production?

• Next we’ll need systems that allow us to identify, track and trace these new IP crops and deliver them to the end user in the format they require.

• We need marketing systems that not only allow for value adding and diversification into these new markets, but systems that actually encourage such risk taking.
o Moreover, these systems would allow farmers to be partners in the value chain, and be paid a premium for growing what end users want.

• We’ll need risk management & insurance programs that encourage diversification and reward risk takers while allowing them to manage financial risks.
o This means options to hedge, contract, and cash price, as well as agronomic tools to minimize crop and weather risks that can be tailored to individual situations and operations.

• Finally, to make the system work, we see a province that welcomes and encourages value-added processing and manufacturing ventures to locate here in Alberta.
o One that creates a climate for investment that has reduced barriers to entry and facilitates smooth operations of those ventures.
o One that encourages local processors to locate throughout Alberta to utilize these crops in the province and provide jobs for Albertans.
o And one that encourages the same kind of venture capital investment for crop use industries that made the oil industry and ultimately Alberta so successful.

[wd9]

CTRL C and CTRL V, gotta love them.

Does a Canadian barley industry plan that ABC is a part of exist?

[nakodo]

Yes there is a Cdn Barley Plan and actually the ABC is a lead on the discussion on the amalgamation of the Barley Development Council, the Barley Cereals Round Table, a lead on the Innovative Feed Grains Alliance in Ab, and created, jointly with the Ab Canola Producers Comm, Grain Growers of Canada to lobby Ottawa on issues affecting grains. ABC will get a research leverage this year of over $ $5 million against a producer investment of $ 250,000 and has organized over 30 companies and associations to lobby Health Canada for a Barley claim and another 15 orgs to lobby Ottawa about Plant Novel Trait restrictions on new variety development.

Then the Q arises what have you done lately to help??? Ask for a refund? Join a committee?? Ctrl C?

[Burbert]

Correct me if I'm wrong, the AB Barley Commission, is hiding/lurking around in this website? It was a sponsor of the site and one time, probably still is, the way all these loyal AB guys are defending it, they most be getting handouts/freebies from the Commission!

[nakodo]

Yup there is a huge cadre of Ab barley producers on the payroll to entertain you all on agri-ville, we get a cheque from the NFU every week to keep you entertained LOL

[wd9]

Nakodo, don't get too upset when people ask what the commission is up to. The time to worry is when they stop. Shocking topic headline, I know it isn't true, but lots don't know it.

Refund, nope, I grow mostly malt which of course goes to WGRF. The feed I sell doesn't have a checkoff applied. From what I understand roughly half of the barley sold gets a checkoff. Talk about slippage.

Am I on a committee? Stop giggling Charlie! BTW Charlie, good job on those radio segments talking about price discovery for barley.

Nakodo, what are the numbers in this strategy? What do you see the Cdn barley industry growing to in the next 5, 10 or 15 years? How about domestic versus exports? How about malt growth or do you see the growth in feed? What about new uses?

How is the low phytate battle going, will CFIA give in?