STRATHMORE, Alta. – Alberta beef producers who continue to support their provincial organization want to know who has asked for the refundable portion of their checkoff.
The $3 levy charged in Alberta for every animal sold became refundable last year, and the requests for rebates have created a budget shortfall for Alberta Beef Producers.
The draft budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year is $5.6 million, down from more than $13 million in 2009-10.
“We have no idea at this point what our revenues will be,” said ABP finance chair Dave Solverson at an ABP zone meeting last week.
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Producers can request refunds again in January.
Strathmore feedlot owner Ed Thiessen moved the motion to reveal who is requesting check-off refunds. It was supported at a producer meeting Nov. 1.
“I have a hard time when any person (who) wants their checkoff out and can still get all the benefits of the organization,” he said.
Refunds will increase and the organization could fold if there are no repercussions, he added.
ABP has sought legal advice about publishing names.
“We were not really sure if under the privacy act if we could or not,” Solverson said.
“Our directors have a list of the names of the people within their zone that have requested it.”
They will contact them and ask why they requested a refund.
About 15 percent of the refund requests came from operations with more than 1,000 head.
“Most of the dollars went to the bigger operators,” said ABP director John Bland of Strathmore.
However, it is a misconception that all large feedlots requested rebates.
The lowest request was for $3.
“Don’t assume that all feedlots took their dollars back because they did not, but those who did took big dollars,” Bland said.
The provincial government, ABP and the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association recently agreed to make $1 nonrefundable so the money can be directed to the national check-off agency.
Nearly $3 million was forwarded to the national agency in the last fiscal year ending March 31.
The money is then distributed to the Canada Beef Export Federation, Beef Information Centre and the Beef Cattle Research Council.
