Policy discussion took a backseat to self image as Manitoba’s general farm lobby group met to talk about the year ahead.
Keystone Agricultural Producers spent some of the time it usually devotes to agricultural policy debates to focus on its public image.
For the first time, the group is gathering funds from a refundable checkoff of $107 deducted largely by grain companies.
A record 7,000 farmers now belong to KAP, up from 3,844 last year.
But the checkoff sparked controversy among farmers who don’t support the policy organization, and pro-mpted questions about what the group accomplishes.
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KAP members say they have to make sure farmers know what the group is doing to keep membership numbers up.
“KAP’s future success, to a large extent, will depend on the next 12 months,” said president Les Jacobson.
“I think we’ve got a bigger job to do and people are expecting more things from the organization because there are more individuals in it.”
During the meeting, the group of about 125 farmers broke into smaller think-tanks to ponder the group’s next step.
Where money went
One group decided KAP should hire someone to research issues and communicate with members and the media.
Barb Steinwandt, a farmer from Grandview, noted KAP spent only $600 on public relations last year.
“We have to be telling our story and that’s expensive,” she said.
Kevin Wadham, who farms near Virden, said the group has to find ways to talk about what it does rather than always reacting to negative issues.
The group also thought KAP should create a reference guide for farmers looking for market information, and help them get up to speed on the new skills required for value-added aspects of farming.
Jacobson said the extra membership base means the group can spend less time on collecting membership fees and more time working on policy. But he noted a bigger group also means higher costs.
He said some of its new funds will likely be put into a war chest for future projects.
Jacobson expects the future of crop insurance and the Net Income Stabilization Account to be a big issue this year.
He said the group will put the cash advance program under the microscope. Recently, the program was cut by $10 million, he said, and members wonder where the money went.
“Nobody’s asking those kinds of questions,” he said.
KAP also passed several resolutions at the meeting held Jan. 13-15 calling on the group to push for:
- A removal of the tax on retained earnings of small co-operatives to encourage more new generation co-ops in the province.
- Getting the provincial government to pay for education from its general revenues and remove education tax from property.
- Exemptions from sales tax on farm inputs.
- Funding for demonstration plots.
- Fairer guidelines for storing fuel on farms.
- A review of land use for wildlife conservation.
- Continued funding for CBC’s Radio Noon program.
As well, two new members were added to the executive.
Don Dewar, a seed grower from Dauphin, won an election for first vice-president. He replaces Dwayne Hamilton of Glenboro.
Marcel Hacault, a hog producer from Niverville, was acclaimed as second vice-president, a position held by Dewar last year.
Jacobson, a grain and hog farmer from Arborg, remains president of the group.
