BANFF, Alta. – Alberta’s barley checkoff will increase next August to
50 cents per tonne from 40 cents.
It will be the Alberta Barley Commission’s first levy increase since it
was formed in 1991.
Two poor harvests in a row have drained the commission’s budget. The
organization collected $840,000 in the 2001-02 fiscal year and $636,700
is anticipated this year.
The checkoff is collected on about 50 percent of the barley produced in
Alberta. Commission manager Clifton Foster said seed, silage and farm
fed barley are exempt.
Alberta farmers produced about 5.2 million tonnes of barley in 2001,
and 2.6 million tonnes this year. The five-year average is 5.6 million
tonnes.
While the commission calculated the revenue shortfall into its budget,
it also realized more money was needed to cover its rising costs.
