WBGA Completes Convention: The Voice of Reason
(February 17, 2004 - WBGA) "Resolutions passed at the Western Barley
Growers Association’s (WBGA) Annual Convention support our policy
direction and give us direction for the future", states Douglas
McBain, President of the WBGA, when commenting on Resolutions passed at
the WBGA Annual Convention held February 11,12, and 13, 2004 in Calgary.
The Honourable Shirley McClellan, Alberta Deputy
Premier and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development opened
the convention and addressed the delegates reaffirming the Alberta
government’s support for an open grain-marketing system. Speakers
discussed such topics as: Barley Varieties for Value Adding and the
Future of Value Adding; Agriculture Weather Forecasting; Shipping Grains
by Container and A Study of Grain Transportation; Bill 207 and the Road
to a Voluntary Canadian Wheat Board (CWB); Selling a Voluntary CWB to
the Business Community; Staying Competitive – The Changing Face of
Agriculture; Reducing Weed and Disease Damage in Crops and Weed and
Volunteer Control in GM Crops
Members passed resolutions that support the Alberta
Wheat and Barley Test Open Market Act. Other resolutions passed
included: the use of sound science as criteria for registration and
introduction of new crops; that the WBGA lobby the federal government to
redistribute the Canadian Wheat Board net interest earnings generated as
a result of all credit grain sales equitably to farmers by using that
money to off-set producers' contributions to the Canadian Agriculture
Income Stabilization (CAIS) program; and the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency and the Canadian Grain Commission to grant
registration to varieties that do not meet KVD requirements with the
provision that they be restricted to a closed loop production/contract
system, and for a Voluntary CWB.
Ed Armstrong – Dapp, AB was elected to the board of
directors and Tom Hewson, Langbank, SK as an advisor. The following
people were elected as officers: Douglas McBain, President; Jeff
Nielsen, Vice President; Rick Strankman, Treasurer; Doug Robertson,
Alberta Vice President; Art Walde, Saskatchewan Vice President with
Albert Wagner, remaining as Past President. |
