Saskatchewan’s canola growers will be speaking with a unified voice after the merger of two commodity groups.
The province’s grower association formally amalgamated with its research and market development commission at Crop Production Week 2012, completing a two-year merger process.
Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association has been absorbed by the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola), an organization the grower group helped spawn in 1991.
The grower association voted unanimously in favour of the merger a year ago at its annual meeting during Crop Production Week 2011, shortly after the group’s executive director took another job.
Read Also
Canadian farmers need level playing field for regulations – says Minister MacDonald
Federal agriculture minister Heath MacDonald is urging the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency to speed up their decision making.
Membership had fallen to 300 growers from a high of more than 1,000.
Last year was spent making the transition from two groups to one larger entity, and the amalgamation became official Jan. 12.
“Boards of both organizations determined that as the industry and marketplace continues to expand, canola producers and stakeholders would be better and more effectively served by one organization to manage all services related to our farmers and the industry,” said SaskCanola chair Brett Halstead.
“We think it’s best for all farmers to just have that one clear voice out there for canola.”
SaskCanola expanded its board by two positions, which were filled by two former grower association board members, and broadened its mandate to include policy and government outreach activities.
Jeff Pylatuik, past-president of the grower group, said SaskCanola will be a stronger organization by taking on the policy portfolio.
“We are pleased with the outcome of these endeavors,” he said.
So is Saskatchewan Agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud, who congratulated the two groups on the merger at the SaskCanola portion of Crop Production Week 2012.
“I’m being a little self-serving here, but I think it’s far easier for us to work with the one organization going forward. I think it’s going to work very well,” he said.
He later told reporters that it was difficult having two voices representing the canola industry.
“It duplicated the meetings that we have and all of the input that we have and quite often it’s the same people that we’re dealing with,” said Bjornerud.
Halstead said the commission will continue to be funded by a mandatory but refundable 75 cent per tonne levy on Saskatchewan produced canola.
