Western Canadian farmers seeking a refund on mandatory wheat and barley checkoffs have until the end of July to submit their refund applications.
Wheat and barley checkoffs valued at 48 cents per tonne on wheat and 56 cents per tonne on barley are automatically deducted at the point of delivery.
The deductions are administered by the Alberta Barley Commission and used to fund three recipient groups: the Western Grain Research Foundation, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre and the Canadian International Grains Institute.
Among other things, the money is used to help develop new wheat and barley varieties and enhance marketing opportunities through various programs.
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The deductions are mandatory but farmers can request a refund.
Farmers seeking a refund have until July 31 to submit an application.
Refunds are processed once a year.
Current regulations allow 90 days for applications to be processed and refunds issued.
Last week, the barley commission issued a statement thanking farmers and grain handling companies for their co-operation.
“As administrators of this deduction, we have diligently managed it to ensure the recipient groups receive stable funding to continue their important work,” said barley commission general manager Lisa Skierka.
“We encourage farmers to contact our accounting staff with any questions they might have,” she said.
For more information on the wheat and barley deduction, visit www.wheatbarleycheckoff.com or call 800-265-9111.
