The board of the newly created Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA) is pleased to announce it has cleared the final hurdle in creating a grower-driven organization to strategically invest in research and market development on behalf of Manitoba growers.
On January 1, the organization obtained provincial regulatory authority to collect a refundable check-off from all sales of spring wheat and barley in Manitoba, said interim board chair Don Dewar, with check-offs to begin February 1, 2014.
The check-off funds will be strategically invested in research and market development projects that will advance the profitability and sustainability of wheat and barley production for Manitoba growers, he said.
“We have already been working with wheat and barley grower organizations in other provinces,” said Dewar. “This approval of our funding mechanism now allows us to be full collaborative partners on multi-province and national research and market development projects at are crucial to wheat and barley production.
“In addition, it’s both an exciting and challenging time for producers of these major crops in Manitoba, and our producer-driven approach means that growers can now participate in resolving a number of very important issues.”
Fred Greig, board vice-chair, said he is grateful to those companies in the agriculture industry that are collecting the check-off for the new wheat and barley association, and for existing organizations.
“It’s an important contribution to the democratic self-determination of our cereals industry,” he said.
In addition to Dewar (Dauphin) and Greig (Reston), the founding board consists of Ray Askin (Portage), David Rourke (Minto), Doug Martin (Selkirk) and Grant Dyck (Niverville). They, along with early administrative support from Keystone Agricultural Producers, have done the legwork to bring the organization to this stage.
The Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association currently have an administrative support agreement with the Manitoba Corn rowers and a technical support agreement with Agri Skills Inc. to minimize overhead costs through this early phase of organizational development.
