After several years of discussions around a possible farm group merger, it’s time for Manitoba farmers to make a major decision regarding the future of provincial commodity organizations.
The five groups that administer check-offs for funding research and market development on spring wheat and barley, corn, sunflowers, flax, and winter cereals will each vote on a motion to amalgamate at their annual or special meetings during the CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg this coming week.
This includes the Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA), Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), National Sunflower Association of Canada (NSAC), Winter Cereals Manitoba, Inc. (WCMI), and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA).
The new organization would be known as the Manitoba Crop Alliance.
The Manitoba Canola Growers Association and Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers are notably not part of the potential merger.
“We definitely encourage producers if they haven’t read the proposal to have a read through it, or talk to any of the directors of any of the five organizations,” urged Pam de Rocquigny, general manager of the Manitoba Corn Growers and Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers, speaking with RealAg’s Jessika Guse in January.
You can find an in-depth explanation of the voting procedure and how this new multi-commodity group would be organized at mbcrops.ca, but here are some of the highlights heading into voting on Wednesday and Thursday at the Victoria Inn Conference Centre:
- You must be in attendance to vote. Yes, that means a long drive into Winnipeg for producers on the west side of the province. You don’t need to be registered for CropConnect to attend the annual/special meetings.
- You can cast a vote in each organization in which you are a member in good standing
- If more than two-thirds of the farmers in attendance at each meeting vote in favour, the five groups will all move ahead with seeking formal approval for the formation of the new Manitoba Crop Alliance on August 1, 2020. (The vote will not be binding if any of the groups do not approve.)
- All five annual/special meetings will be held in the Wellington A Room at the Victoria Inn:
- 10:50am on Wednesday — National Sunflower Association of Canada
- 12:10pm on Wednesday — Manitoba Corn Growers Association
- 2:40pm on Wednesday — Winter Cereals Manitoba
- 10am on Thursday — Manitoba Flax Growers Association
- 12:30pm on Thursday — Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association
Stay tuned to RealAg for full coverage of the merger votes and the rest of the CropConnect Conference.
Related:
- Manitoba farmers set to vote on producer group amalgamation
- Manitoba farm groups to amend merger proposal and consider other collaboration models
- Feedback wanted for Manitoba farm group merger discussion
