Ontario's Oat and Barley Growers Can Soon Vote on Joining GFO

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Barley is BearishThe Oat and Barley Representation Committee is making farmers aware that the Farm Products Marketing Commission will be conducting a producer expression of opinion vote among Ontario oat and barley farmers. The purpose of the vote is to determine whether farmers who grow oats and barley in Ontario wish to be represented by Grain Farmers of Ontario as outlined in the Committee’s proposal.

Grain Farmers of Ontario currently represents 28,000 corn, soybean, and wheat farmers. The proposal is to expand the organization’s mandate to include oats and barley.

“This vote is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for oat and barley farmers to gain representation for the first time for these crops in Ontario,” says Craig Martin, chair of the Oat and Barley Representation Committee and a major grower and processor of these crops.

Ballots for the producer expression of opinion vote will be mailed to Ontario oat and barley farmers on October 31, 2014 with responses required to be mailed back to the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission by November 17, 2014.

Although the proposed plan covers all oat and barley growers in Ontario, only oats, barley, and mixed grain marketed commercially to elevators and processors will be assessed license fees under the proposal. On-farm use and farm-to-farm sales will be exempt from license fees, similar to the model currently used by Grain Farmers of Ontario for corn, soybeans, and wheat.

Information about the proposal is currently available at www.oatandbarley.ca and information will also be included with the ballots. Oat and barley farmers that do not receive a ballot should contact the Farm Products Marketing Commission directly at (519) 826-4220 to be mailed a ballot package.

Contact Craig Martin at 519-664-3701 ext. 25 or at [email protected], for more information or with any questions you may have.

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