Sask Canola Supports Open Market
Written by Neil Billinger - 600 Action News-Local First
Friday, 08 April 2011
Sask Canola says it has nothing to do with a producer survey organized by the Manitoba Canola Growers Association. (MCGA)
The MCGA is asking prairie farmers if they would be interested in selling some of their canola on a voluntary basis through the Canadian Wheat Board. This is in response to an MCGA resolution passed in 2006 to examine ''alternative methods'' of marketing canola.
The survey has resulted in some Manitoba farmers requesting a refund of their producer levy (checkoff) on canola sales.
Sask Canola originally intended to issue a response following its board of directors meeting on April 20th, but Chair Brett Halstead says they have decided to speak now to avoid any confusion among Saskatchewan canola producers.
"We had a board meeting scheduled for April 20th and we've decided to move up our decision on talking about this because we have been getting some calls at the office from people not sure what our position is."
Halstead says Sask Canola has a very clear position.
"Sask Canola is not working with MCGA on this initiative. Sask Canola does support an open and voluntary marketing system for canola . . . It (current system) has achieved its goals since both supply and price have risen. We are not supporting the MCGA on this initiative, (but) we can't tell them what to do," says Halstead.
Halstead reassures Saskatchewan producers that none of their levy ''in no way shape or form'' is going to fund the MCGA survey, which is running in this week's Western Producer
Written by Neil Billinger - 600 Action News-Local First
Friday, 08 April 2011
Sask Canola says it has nothing to do with a producer survey organized by the Manitoba Canola Growers Association. (MCGA)
The MCGA is asking prairie farmers if they would be interested in selling some of their canola on a voluntary basis through the Canadian Wheat Board. This is in response to an MCGA resolution passed in 2006 to examine ''alternative methods'' of marketing canola.
The survey has resulted in some Manitoba farmers requesting a refund of their producer levy (checkoff) on canola sales.
Sask Canola originally intended to issue a response following its board of directors meeting on April 20th, but Chair Brett Halstead says they have decided to speak now to avoid any confusion among Saskatchewan canola producers.
"We had a board meeting scheduled for April 20th and we've decided to move up our decision on talking about this because we have been getting some calls at the office from people not sure what our position is."
Halstead says Sask Canola has a very clear position.
"Sask Canola is not working with MCGA on this initiative. Sask Canola does support an open and voluntary marketing system for canola . . . It (current system) has achieved its goals since both supply and price have risen. We are not supporting the MCGA on this initiative, (but) we can't tell them what to do," says Halstead.
Halstead reassures Saskatchewan producers that none of their levy ''in no way shape or form'' is going to fund the MCGA survey, which is running in this week's Western Producer
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