Barely a year after he became the first Quebec farmer to lead the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Laurent Pellerin is stepping down to take an appointment from Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.The 61-year-old hog and grain producer and longtime farm lobbyist becomes chair of the Farm Products Council of Canada May 31. The same day, he steps down as CFA president, a position he won in a contested election in February 2009 and was acclaimed to another year’s term three months ago at the federation’s annual meeting.The FPCC is an Ottawa-based federal council that supervises the four national supply management agencies that operate in the poultry and egg sectors.For the next nine months until its February 2011 annual meeting, CFA will be led jointly by first vice-president Ron Bonnett, whom Pellerin defeated in the 2009 vote, and Abbotsford, British Columbia, turkey producer Garnet Etsell, CFA second vice-president and chair of the B.C. Agriculture Council. Bonnett is a former president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.Pellerin’s federal appointment caught CFA staff by surprise. He broke the news during a conference call with staff May 18, just before Ritz made the formal announcement.”Over the course of many years leading producer organizations, most recently as president of the CFA, Mr. Pellerin has earned the respect of farmers,” Ritz said. “I look forward to working with Mr. Pellerin in his new role.”Bonnett praised him for his “outstanding leadership.”He leaves as CFA is planning to celebrate its 75th anniversary next autumn.Pellerin started to farm at Bécancour, Que., in 1972 after earning an education degree at university.He became involved in farm politics through the Fédération des producteurs de porc du Québec and served as its president before becoming president of the Union des Producteurs Agricoles.He was UPA president for 14 years before being defeated in 2008.Pellerin served as CFA vice-president for a decade before he became president.
Pellerin leaving Canadian Federation of Agriculture
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