Humphrey Banack of Round Hill, Alta., has been elected second vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
Banack’s election was part of a shakeup in the CFA leadership. He announced in January that he would not seek re-election as the president of Alberta’s Wild Rose Agricultural Producers.
Ontario farmer Ron Bonnett, who became president last year, was
elected by acclamation to a two-year term as president.
Christian Lacasse, president of Québec’s Union des Producteurs Agricoles, was elected vice-president, defeating former vice-president Garnett Etsell, a British Columbia turkey producer.
Read Also
Lower nitrogen rates in dry beans could pay off for farmers
Manitoba research is testing whether reduced nitrogen fertilizer in dry beans can maintain yields while cutting costs and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Banack defeated Etsell and Agricultural Producers’ Association of Saskatchewan president Greg Marshall for the last executive position.
For the past two years, Etsell had led the CFA work on developing a national food strategy.
Bonnett said after the elections that Etsell can continue to be involved in the strategy because he is still on the CFA executive committee.
BELT TIGHTENING
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is facing budget belt-tightening in future years after recording a 2010 deficit of almost $40,000.
This year, it projects a $13,470 surplus after increasing membership dues by three percent and trimming the budget for staff salaries, travel and national office expenses.
However, Québec’s Coop Fédérée, a long-time member, has left the CFA, taking its $72,837 membership dues with it.
This year’s three percent increase in dues is part of a five-year plan approved in 2007 to improve the federation’s financial stability.
CWB RECOMMENDATIONS
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture wants the federal government to pick its appointed Canadian Wheat Board directors from a list of candidates assembled by elected board directors.
At the federation’s annual meeting last week, delegates approved a resolution that the government should “accept a list of names of potential candidates for appointment to the CWB that would fill any void of expertise that may exist around the board table.”
The original resolution suggested the 10 elected directors should draw up the names of acceptable candidates. It was amended to allow farm groups or others to also submit names to the elected directors.
Farmers elect 10 directors to the CWB’s 15-member board and the government appoints four others, as well as the president.
