Another voice has been added to the chorus of farm groups trying to get the ear of the federal government.
And the newly created Grain Growers of Canada says producers across the country finally have a chance to sing the same tune.
“Unlike cattle and pork, grain has not had a national organization,” said Clifton Foster, acting executive director of the new group. “We intend to fill that gap.”
Foster said it’s time Canada’s grain growers spoke with a single voice. In the past, grain farmers have sent mixed messages to government, allowing it to pick and choose the policies it wants, he added.
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The group will make it easier for Ottawa to figure out exactly what grain growers want the government to do in areas like international trade and safety nets.
“We have formed an organization through which growers can drive policy development that will ensure our best interests,” interim chair Brian Kriz said in a news release.
The creation of GGC follows six months of discussion among grain organizations across the country.
The seven founding members are the Alberta Barley Commission, the Alberta Winter Wheat Producers Commission, the Saskatchewan Canola Growers, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers, the Ontario Soybean Growers, the Ontario Corn Growers and the Atlantic Grains Council.
Foster said other groups from across the country, including British Columbia and Quebec, have expressed an interest in joining. The organization will be funded by membership fees, which will range from $1,000 to $20,000 annually, depending on the size of the member group. There will be no direct farmer memberships.
Foster vigorously rejected ideological labels, saying the membership reflects a variety of political views. However, he acknowledged the members do share some common values and ideas.
“We do believe in a competitive and open marketplace,” he said.
Some members of the GGC have played a leading role in a variety of public, political and legal efforts to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly on wheat and barley exports.
But Foster said the new group doesn’t intend to get involved in what he termed “personality” debates. It takes issue with some CWB policies, but it will focus its energies on trying to change or improve those policies, not on attacking the board.
And while GGC members support the principle of a market-driven, commercial grain economy without any government intervention, that doesn’t mean it will always oppose government support.
For example, when Canadian grain growers are hurting financially through no fault of their own because of trade wars and subsidies, said Foster, there is clearly a role for government to play. There is also a need for safety net programs.
However, he added that the group won’t adopt formal policy positions until its inaugural policy convention in Ottawa this November.
Grain Growers of Canada has set out four principles to guide its policy deliberations:
- Pursue a grower-driven and competitive agricultural trading environment based on comparative advantage and open market.
- Require government policies to be transparent and non-distorting. In cases where government intervention is warranted, those programs should be reviewed regularly.
- Advocate policies that will attract investment in value-added processing industries and stimulate research and development.
- Promote policies that will boost consumer confidence, such as environmental sustainability, responsible stewardship of natural resources and the use of rigorous science to guarantee a safe food supply.
