CALGARY (Staff) – A decision by Alberta Wheat Pool to leave Unifarm eliminates 25 percent of the general farm organization’s budget.
The pool’s membership fee for this fiscal year was $150,000. By voting to pull out during the annual meeting in November, the grain co-operative also loses its right to 40 delegates at Unifarm’s annual convention. In a written statement the pool praised the group but said it should be encouraged to get direct farmer membership. Pool president Alex Graham was unavailable for comment.
Unifarm has about 2,000 direct members and 10 commodity group members, said president Roy Jensen.
Losing the pool’s direct support “doesn’t mean we’re going to die,” Jensen said.
