Resolutions at recent Alberta Federation of Agriculture meeting suggested changes to how reference margins are managed
Improved business risk management programs, insurance for truck drivers, standardized grain contracts and continued forage research were some of the resolutions discussed at the Alberta Federation of Agriculture’s annual general meeting.
The need for investment in business risk management programs is a key priority for the AFA and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said AFA president Lynn Jacobson.
The federal government’s proposal last year to increase the AgriStability reference margin limit from 70 percent to 80 percent was rejected by some provincial governments, therefore stopping all provinces from changing the reference margins. The federation’s resolution would allow provinces to select the reference margin without agreement from all provinces.
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“Because of the inability to come to agreement on a unified program, it was stopped,” said Jacobson of Enchant, Alta.
A second resolution encouraged the federal government to allow access to the federal portion of the reference margin funding without having a majority of provinces. Traditionally, the federal government pays 60 percent of all federal and provincial government programs.
If a province wanted to change the reference margin on its own, it would not get the federal portion for the changes.
“This motion is designed to say if you want to opt in, you can opt in, you can get your 60 percent share of federal funding,” said Grace MacGregor.
The need to attract truck drivers to farms and to other industries is a growing concern, said Humphrey Banack, who introduced a resolution to reduce barriers for drivers.
“With all the challenges today with on-time delivery, drivers and truck drivers are very important to our industry and industries across the country,”
A combination of different driver rules in each province, increased insurance and training fees seem to have discouraged new drivers, he said.
“We’re not going to be able to attract new people to the industry when you are looking at thousands of dollars of outlay before you even sit in a seat. You might do it for six months and decide you don’t like it. We have to build this industry because it is the backbone of our country.”
This year’s drought and farmers’ inability to fill production contracts shone a spotlight on the one-sided grain company production contracts, said Dean Rogan, who proposed lobbying the federal government to change regulations and allow the Canadian Grain Commission to oversee production contracts.
“There should be a standardized contract that is fair for both producers and the companies,” said Rogan.
Board member Graham Gilchrest said the resolution asks the federal government to allow the grain commission to ensure production contracts are fair to farmers and grain companies.
Keith Degenhardt said with the changing climate, the federal government needs to focus more research on forages, with their ability to mitigate climate change and sequester carbon.
All 10 resolutions at the meeting were passed.
