A rift that tore apart Saskatchewan’s original farm rally group has been mended.
Shortly after it was formed in 1999, a power struggle split the Bengough Rally Group into the Pro-West Rally Group and the Saskatchewan Rally Group.
Sharon Nicholson became leader of the Pro-West faction and Ray Bashutsky took charge of the Sask Rally Group.
Other than calling on the federal government for farm aid, the two leaders didn’t see eye-to-eye on much, said Bruce Osiowy, the outgoing president of Pro-West who succeeded Nicholson.
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He said reuniting the movement was out of the question with Nicholson and Bashutsky in charge.
“There was so much bad blood between the two ex-presidents that it just wasn’t going to happen,” Osiowy said.
Nicholson and Bashutsky were eventually replaced, making it possible to discuss a merger.
Since then, representatives of the two groups have hashed out a plan to re-unite.
Osiowy said Pro-West has been dissolved and its members have agreed to join the Sask Rally Group, which is expected to be renamed the Western Federation of Agriculture. The new name has yet to clear corporate registry hurdles.
The federation held its inaugural meeting Feb. 1 in Manitou Beach, Sask.
Osiowy, vice-president of the new organization, said the 60 people attending the meeting passed a resolution to lobby governments not to sign Ottawa’s new agricultural policy framework until certain conditions are met.
Most importantly, they want Saskatchewan to receive 46 percent of federal funding rather than the 22 percent the province is entitled to under the Fredericton formula. The 46 percent represents the province’s share of Canada’s farm acreage.
They also want the provincial share of farm programs to be based on the percentage of taxpayers in each province. Under such a system, Ontario would pay 40 percent, while Saskatchewan and Manitoba would only be responsible for 24 percent of the total bill.
“That would be a much fairer way of doing things,” Osiowy said.
As well, they want a trade injury clause, one completely funded by the federal government and equivalent to what American farmers receive to be included in the APF.
Another resolution calls for the federation to lobby provincial and federal governments to change the Net Income Stabilization Account program so it is based on 100 percent of all farm losses, rather than eligible sales.
Some of the new group’s policy stances are similar to those of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, but Osiowy said that group represents only a portion of the province’s farmers. He insisted there is room for both.
“I think they are very committed people, but they just don’t seem to be getting the results,” he said.
