Danny Penner, a prominent farmer from Manitoba, is calling for a complete reorganization of the groups that deduct checkoffs on crops.
He says it’s hard to count how many organizations purport to speak on behalf of farmers and points to un-necessary overlap in administration.
It’s easy to see how a well-meaning producer could come to those conclusions, but the current system actually works quite well.
There’s always room for improvement and there’s uncertainty with the new wheat and barley commissions being set up in each of the prairie provinces, but it’s easier to tweak what we have rather than trying to invent something entirely new.
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I’m closer to this topic than most producers, and I admittedly have a vested interest in the status quo. I was one of the founding directors of the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan and currently serve as executive director.
I also serve as executive director of the Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission and the Inland Terminal Association of Canada. The ITAC position lets me see the inner workings of the Canada Grains Council.
Most producers recognize the importance of crop checkoffs to fund research and market development. Under the current rules, producers can organize and ask for a producer-controlled checkoff within a specific province but not across provincial boundaries.
Pulse and canola checkoffs are established in each province, and wheat and barley are moving in the same direction now that we have an open market.
On wheat and barley, money is being deducted pan-provincially to replace the funding that used to be deducted from CWB final payments. There will be two levies on those crops once provincial commissions are in place, but only for the short term. This is a work in progress and co-ordination and co-operation will certainly be required.
Some producers bemoan all the revenue they’re paying in checkoffs, but most of the levels are far below the producer investments made in competing nations such as Australia.
And while there’s a multitude of checkoffs, most of the commodity groups are collaborating to use one organization, Levy Central in Sask-atoon, to collect them from buyers. That makes levy collection efficient and low-cost.
Some of the large commissions have a significant number of staff to execute their activities, but many of the smaller commissions have one or two part-time people working on contract.
Many of the commissions have teamed up with industry through organizations such as Pulse Canada, the Canola Council of Canada and the Flax Council of Canada to address over-arching topics such as market access and promotion.
The Canada Grains Council does a great deal of work on behalf of the national crop industry. All sorts of producer and industry groups are members, but the council doesn’t have access to sufficient funding to adequately tackle all the important issues. This is a concern that needs to be addressed.
Each crop levy you pay gives you a vote and a voice within that organization. Do you read the newsletters and check out the websites? Do you attend the field days, information sessions and the annual meetings? Do you vote in the director elections?
The system is admittedly a bit disjointed, and the new wheat and barley commissions are a work in progress. But the weakest link is that not enough producers take an active interest.
