PONOKA, Alta. — Alberta bison producers, frustrated by problems in collecting a refundable $3 per head checkoff, voted to disband their commission and reform under an association with no ability to collect the fee.
Marvin Moore, chair of the Bison Producers of Alberta said the group could not convince many people help fund the commission.
“We tried very hard to collect more and to make sure everybody paid, but when it’s refundable people say they will send the money in but they’re going to ask for it back,” he said, during the group’s annual meeting and bison show and sale.
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Last year, the group collected about $11,000 in fees out of a possible $80,000 in potential check-off fees.
Unlike other commissions where the fee is collected at auction markets or grain elevators, few bison go through public facilities so the commission relies on the good will of producers to voluntarily send in their $3 per head each time an animal is sold.
Last year, the commission received $10,047 from one federal packing plant, but a letter accompanied the cheques asking for a full refund. Slightly more than $800 was collected from provincial packing plants. Auction markets submitted almost $6,500 in fees and producers voluntarily submitted just over $4,000.
Of the $21,471 collected, $10,317 was refunded, to leave $11,094 to help fund the organization’s yearly $60,000 operating budget.
Bison producer Frank McAllister said he was in favour of disbanding the commission.
“I am in favour of it mainly because this isn’t working. If it’s not working you better do something different,” he said.
Members also voted to approve a membership increase from $75 to $125. Last year, about $35,000 was raised during the Wildrose Bison show and sale held in conjunction with the annual meeting.
With half the number of bison in this year’s sale, revenue from the sale was also reduced.
Mike Pearson, with Alberta Marketing Council, the provincial organization overseeing commissions said he doesn’t anticipate the organizational changes will result in changes in the relationship with the provincial government.
