companies funding Cigi are Viterra, Richardson International, Cargill Canada, Parrish and Heimbecker, Paterson Grain, G3 Canada Limited and Inland Terminal Association of Canada. “This new sustainable funding framework is an important milestone in Cigi’s 45-year history and we look forward to working with the new board to ensure Cigi remains a strong asset to the Canadian grain industry,” says Buth. Prior to June 29, 2017, Cigi was funded through the Western Canadian Deduction, which was a regulation put in place after the marketing changes. This levy was $0.48 per tonne of wheat delivered in Western Canada to licensed grain facilities, of which Cigi received $0.15, and the remaining funds went to the Western Grains Research Foundation to support variety development with a small amount going to administration. In the past, Cigi had also received some funding from grain companies, but it was limited to some specific projects that Cigi conducted on a fee-for-service basis. The WCD regulation expired on July 31, 2017, so Cigi had been working closely before that point with the new wheat commissions to ensure they understood Cigi’s role in the wheat value chain and would continue to feel it important to support the organization. “At the same time, we recognized that the grain companies were also benefiting from Cigi’s work, so we approached them to contribute directly,” says Buth. “Now the grain companies and growers are contributing core funding on a 50:50 basis, and it’s a significant step to have growers and grain companies share equally in the funding and governance of Cigi to ensure we continue to respond to the needs of the industry.” Cigi is also funded by the federal government through the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriMarketing Program, the AgriInnovation program and a special project in Morocco with Global Affairs Canada funding. While there is much activity at Cigi, contrary to some rumours, there is no activity happening that involves merging Cigi and Cereals Canada, nor are there any plans in place at this point to do so. Cigi works closely with all value chain organizations including the provincial wheat commissions, pulse growers, WGEA [Western Grain Elevator Association] and so on, and we work closely with Cereals Canada since they are working on policy, research and market development issues related to wheat,” Bender explains. “The recent media headline referring to a merge was not accurate, and if you look at the interviewee comments, there was no mention of amalgamation, just working closely together.”  Treena Hein haneyfarms.com 403-738-4517 @haneyfarms The Seed You Need RETAIL PEDIGREED SEED & SEED CLEANING WHEAT - BARLEY - CORN - CANOLA - OATS TRITICALE - SEED TREATING 19 Advancing Seed in Alberta | fall.2017