The provincial cereal commissions, Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission, are mulling an amalgamation.
It may not be long before Alberta’s biggest crop commissions shrink from four to three. That’s because Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) are formally exploring amalgamation after resolutions passed at both groups’ regional and annual meetings in recent years.
The two commissions, which bring in a combined $11 million-plus through check-off revenue, are considering joining forces in an effort to reduce duplication and provide greater value to farmers. The commissions already utilize a shared staffing model, which saves an estimated $350,000 annually since they began the practice in 2018.
Exploratory work has been ongoing for more than a year and may be soon coming to a close. A recent online survey allowed farmers to answer questions about aspects of amalgamation. The commissions established an online FAQ section of their website and hosted virtual town halls meetings on Oct. 21 and 26, 2021 for further engagement. According to Tom Steve, the commissions’ general manager, farmers are getting exactly what they have been asking about.
“The group is cohesive in taking a critical look at what a formal amalgamation would look like,” says Steve. “That’s been the strength of the process. We’ve really tried to reach out and get a good sense of what the pros and cons are of this.”
With a subcommittee consisting of both commissions’ directors and junior directors (called delegates with Alberta Barley and regional representatives with AWC), the effort to include many voices is a top objective.
Tara Sawyer, Alberta Barley’s chair, is part of the subcommittee and stresses this is currently in discussion, with details and direction being hammered out. She reminds Alberta farmers to raise their voice when and where it counts, because this is not a done deal.
“That’s the important part, it’s still a proposal,” says Sawyer. “I don’t want everyone to automatically think that everyone is on board with this.”
The More You Know: Amalgamation is nothing new for AWC. Its genesis was the result of the Alberta Soft Wheat Producers Commission and the Alberta Winter Wheat Producers Commission joining forces and began operating Aug. 1, 2012, the day the Canadian Wheat Board was stripped of its monopoly. Today, AWC represents all wheat classes.
It’s a message echoed by Todd Hames, AWC’s chair, who reminds Alberta farmers this process has, and will continue to be, driven solely by the groups’ rate payers.
“Engagement is super important to me, that we get the word out and hear what our membership would like to see done,” he says. “It’s not a board decision.”
He believes the biggest benefits to linking together is speaking with one voice, especially on many issues that are doubled up on, such as rail service, transportation and regulatory issues. Beyond that, Hames notes staff often prepare for board meetings and present the same material twice in a short period of time.
“The advantage is making us a bit leaner and cleaner,” he says. “In reality, most of the members are members of both commissions.”
There Will Be Individual Voices
The single biggest issue raised at the virtual town halls surrounded merit-based funding. Certain farmers felt it could dilute wheat or barley’s interests in favour of the other, although more voiced concern that barley stood to lose more than wheat. The subcommittee acknowledges that area of concern, and Hames thinks both groups could be well represented and points to the recently formed Manitoba Crop Alliance, which represents corn, sunflower, barley, wheat and flax, as an example of success and cost savings. Similarly, the Grain Farmers of Ontario represents barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers’ interests
However, Hames says the commissions already operate within a merit-based system; proposals are sent in, reviewed by research committees, and selected based on what will be most beneficial to farmers. Within a merit-based framework, each crop is given flexibility.
His hypothetical scenario is that if barley had one-third of the overall research dollars, but needed a few extra for a great proposal, an amalgamated commission can make that happen. “It doesn’t mean they’re going to get 40 per cent, but maybe if one year they need 35, we can make that happen.”
He insists there is no reason to fear one crop will “cannibalize the other. If we make both crops do well, farmers have more options and that’s the goal. It’s about making both crops profitable, not eliminating options for farmers.”
Sawyer believes the same thing and since most farmers grow both crops, it’s a positive across the board.
First!: Alberta Barley is the province’s oldest commission, having been established in 1991 by the Western Barley Growers Association to ensure research and promotion for the crop continued. It was the first barley commission established in the country. Talk about being a trailblazer!
“I’m a believer that any improvements in a crop benefits all farmers,” she says. “It’s going to provide value, and moving away strictly from check-off revenue, we’re going to be able to capitalize for barley and wheat farmers where you’re not tied to a certain amount of funding.”
Overall, cost savings have only allowed the commissions to expand their reach, and they say it has let them create new resources for farmers, including The Growing Point newsletter, In The Field webinars as well as Plot2Farm on-farm field research trials and paid for the hiring of two research extension agronomists.
Preliminary Results Show Support of Merger
Support for joining forces has been overwhelmingly positive from those who responded in the survey. Seventy-one per cent of respondents favoured a single, 12-person board (143 responses) while another 72 per cent favoured keeping checkoffs separated and opting to make research projects be funded on a merit-based system (136 responses), regardless of crop. Many believe this is sensible given a majority of Canadian wheat is exported while barley remains domestic between animal feed and brewing.
All questions, though, really centred upon the big one: Do you think AWC and Alberta Barley should amalgamate? The answer was clear with 71 per cent saying yes (135 responses).
Survey Says: Survey questions showed results that overwhelmingly favoured amalgamation. The only one that didn’t? Do you have concerns of either crops’ representation in a shared model? It was a virtual tie with 48 per cent saying yes and 52 per cent saying no (135 responses).
Despite an initially warm reception from farmers, Steve says there is still a long way to go if this eventually happens.
“Feedback we’ve been getting from farmers has been that they like the idea, but we want to make sure we are hearing from everybody.”
Farmers also have the opportunity to raise their voice at regional meetings as well as the Alberta Barley and AWC annual general meetings, taking place throughout the winter.
As Hames puts it, farmers need to decide if this will be a net positive or negative.
“There’s time to speak up if you have something to say either for or against, that’s critical,” he says. “Is amalgamating creating opportunities or making opportunities less?”
If resolutions are passed at upcoming regional meetings, and accepted at both groups’ AGMs, a formal plebiscite could be triggered as early as March or April 2022.
Header photo — Alberta Barley and Alberta Wheat Commission
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