If you repeat it, if you say it louder, if that’s your talking point, people will totally believe it,” stated former federal environment minister Catherine McKenna.
It seems supporters for a new agriculture building in Winnipeg bought into this infamous diatribe.
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We have heard over and over again that Cereals Canada (the amalgamated Cereals Canada and Canadian International Grains Institute) will be kicked out of 303 Main Street in Winnipeg within the next few years. This is the justification that Cereals Canada is using for a new building that will cost farmers and grain companies about $100 million of farmers’ money.
Meanwhile, there has been no indication that the building lease will not be renewed. There is, however, a building vacancy crisis in every major city, including Winnipeg at 12.7 per cent. Furthermore, Cereals Canada has never provided a business case for spending the industry’s money.
Western Producer reporter Ed White recently wrote about lack of transparency for both government and industry groups. His article is certainly on target for this issue.
Has there been a transparent discussion with farmers about using their money on bricks and mortar in downtown Winnipeg? Have the commissions forgotten that funds they are entrusted to manage are not their own, but rather collected from farmer deliveries?
It appears the commissions have turned into multi-million-dollar empires and have failed to collaborate and offer assurance that the limited dollars we have in Canada for research and development are spent in the best interests of farmers.
A few years ago, Cereals Canada commissioned Steven Morgan Jones to write a white paper on fusarium research in Canada. He found there were over 70 separate research projects on the go, and suggested there should be three. This pronouncement was met with a chorus of disdain by the many groups doing the research.
So, let’s change the narrative regarding how the commissions and organizations collaborate to ensure producers’ dollars go to beneficial research. The duplication and waste of dollars needs to stop if our industry is truly the master of its own success.
What is best for the industry overall? Does Cereals Canada even know what its place in the world is anymore? Has it done a full 360 review of its services with customers?
In other words, is it still relevant today, doing the same work it did over 50 years ago, or does it need to change to once again become relevant?
Until this can be answered, it’s like buying a combine for your farm before you know if you will ever need one. Commission checkoffs paid by farmers seem to be a given and it is money gone and forgotten. In reality, farmers hold the ultimate voting authority by deciding whether to leave their money in the commissions or withdraw it, depending on how their dollars are spent.
These important decisions should not be based on which group repeats a narrative and says it louder.
The Wheat Growers want to take this opportunity to change the narrative on how your money is being spent as well as an opportunity to inject accountability into the checkoff system. The proposed building is just one example lacking in transparency and accountability, as is the duplication of research by multiple commissions.
Now is the time for farmers to voice their opinions loudly.
Gunter Jochum is the president of the WCWGA.
