VANCOUVER, B.C. – While looking over delegates at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting, a visitor couldn’t be blamed if they thought Alberta was the poor country cousin.
Tables were full of delegates from Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada, but there were only two representatives from Alberta.
“It’s an embarrassment to Alberta farmers and for the Alberta government,” said Neil Wagstaff, president of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers.
“Because of the circumstances, Alberta farmers are not being represented to the same degree they should be,” he said.
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After this meeting the representation allowed for Alberta, an associate member, will drop from two to one because of a bylaw change. Full members are allowed to bring up to 15 delegates to the meeting, but in exchange they have to pay full fees.
Wild Rose has an annual budget of $150,000 and can’t afford a full membership in the national organization.
Bill Dobson of Paradise Valley, Alta., said Alberta farmers lose out. He said federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief wants to work with the CFA.
“He seeks the guidance of CFA and by Alberta not a full participant, our voice is not being heard federally.”
Some commodity organizations in Alberta receive a checkoff from producers, but there is no government funding or means to collect membership dues for a general farm organization.
That means there’s no strong general farm organization to discuss general farm issues like taxation or safety nets, Dobson said.
Terry Otto, executive member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, said it’s imperative to have a strong provincial farm organization to speak on behalf of its 41,000 members. Even with a budget of $8 million the OFA doesn’t feel they have enough money to represent farmers.
“I feel it should be mandatory for farmers to be members of a farm organization,” said Otto, who added all farmers’ benefit from issues addressed by farm organizations.
Robert Macdonald, president of the Prince Edward Island Agriculture Producers, said his organization will grow with new legislation making it mandatory for all farmers to belong to one of two farm organizations.
It should boost their annual budget through more dues to $250,000 a year from $200,000.
