Winter
2016
Grains
West
20
Levies reap big rewards for farmers
BY TREVOR BACQUE
Feature
F YOU HAVE EVER WONDEREDWHERE THAT GREAT
new variety growing in your field came from or how
the latest international trade deal came about, you can
often look to provincial crop commissions as the significant
drivers of these successes.
In Alberta, $1 and $0.70 are collected when you sell one
tonne of your barley and wheat, respectively. From there,
Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission’s boards of
directors (both farmer-elected) meet and discuss how best to
utilize producer dollars.
Next, the funds are allocated to a carefully selected pool of
research, market development, policy, communication and
extension projects that have one aim in mind—boosting the
bottom line of Alberta’s barley and wheat farmers.
“When we are tasked with investing farmer dollars, it’s
crucial we talk about this as a board of directors to ensure we
invest strategically,” said Kent Erickson, AWC chairman and
region three director.
Erickson, who farms near Irma, said the organization’s
check-off dollars have helped put Alberta’s quality wheat
on the map outside of Canada. “Areas all over the world,
including Asia, the Middle East-North Africa region, South
America and parts of Europe, are well-versed in the quality
that comes from both Canada and Alberta because we are
sending representatives to those areas each year, including
this past winter,” he said.
Erickson knows that by leaving his check-off with the
commissions, he’s multiplying his money. It’s estimated one
check-off dollar turns into a $20.40 return for wheat and $7.56
for barley when it comes to research investment, according to
a University of Saskatchewan study.
“When we receive farmer check-offs, we work with fellow
commissions, industry groups, and the government to leverage
money. These partnerships ultimately help give Alberta farmers
access to premium varieties that are yield champions and have
better everything—whether it’s disease and lodging resistance,
better milling quality or straw strength.”
AWC invests $1.7 million annually on research aimed at
improving the profitability of Alberta wheat farmers and in 2015
launched a groundbreaking 4-P partnership with Agriculture
I
THE VALUE OF CHECK-OFFS
23
ANNUALREPORT
2015
PriddisMillarville Fair
CitySlickers
-Stoney Plain
EdmontonWoman’s show
Calgary
Woman’sShow
Agri-TradeExposition
-RedDeer
Science of the
SixPack
-RedDeer
AlbertaCropsBreakfast
-RedDeer
Region4
Meeting
-St.Paul
Chops&Crops
- Edmonton
AGM
-Banff
FarmTech™
- Edmonton
AgExpo
- Lethbridge
PeaceCountryClassicAgri-Show
-Grande Prairie
AggieDays
-Calgary
AggieDays
- Lethbridge
TalismanHealthy
StampedeBreakfast
-Calgary
Region 6Meeting
-Grande Prairie
Lacombe FieldTour
Making theGrade
-Olds
Region3Meeting
- Lacombe
Ag-tivity in theCity at theCalgaryStampede
Calgary InternationalBeerfest
Porkapaloozawith
TasteAlberta
- Edmonton
EdmontonCraftBeer Festival
Viking
Spring Fling
Region1Meeting
-Bow Island
Region2Meeting
-ThreeHills
Region5Meeting
-Westlock
Alberta Barley travels the
province to meet with farmers
and consumers. Below is
where we went in FY 2015.
City/Town
Consumer focused
Educational
Producer focused
13
ANNUALREPORT
2015
Since
1991
Since
1991
Today
Today
115+PROJECTS
FUNDED
$11MILLION
RESEARCHCLUSTER
PARTNERSHIP
WITHGOVERNMENT
& INDUSTRY
$9+ MILLION
INVESTED
INTOPROJECTS
FUNDING
40ONGOING
PROJECTS
17
ANNUALREPORT
2015
How we spread the word
about Alberta barley
The followingareexamples from thepast year thathighlight
howwepromoteAlbertabarley tonewmarkets
DOMESTIC
Foodbarley innovation:
opportunities for the
food industry
Funded inpartbyAMP
INTERNATIONAL
Agri-valuemission
toMexico
PartneredwithAlberta
AgricultureandRuralDevelopment
andSaskatchewanTradeand
ExportPartnership (STEP)
Funded inpartbyAMP
Goal:
Reach key stakeholders
in companies thatdevelop
cereal snacksandbakery
products.
Outcome:
Increased
awarenessof foodbarley, its
healthbenefitsandhow to
formulatenewproductswith it.
Over300people fromNorth
Americas top food companies,
dieticiansandotherhealth
professionals viewed the
presentation.
ONLINE
Usingbarley to formulate
healthy foodproducts
$
O
e
Goal:
Increaseexports
of foodand feedbarley
toMexico.
Outcome:
On July29,
2015 foodand feedbuyers
fromMexico travelled to
Edmonton forbusiness-
to-businessmeetingsand
continued consultation.
Estimated thatAlbertawill
receiveanadditional$4
million inannualexport sales
toMexicoasa resultof this
trademission.
$
Goal:
Meetwith keymembers
of the value-chain, from
producers tomillers foran in-
depth reviewof thehealthand
nutritionalbenefitsofbarley.
Outcome:
Overa
dozen representatives
attended,allowingus to
connectprominent food
manufacturing companies
with ingredients suppliers.
Following thiseventa large
researchanddevelopment lab
was interested in the versatility
ofbarleyand requested
samplesofhighbeta-glucan
flour for small scale testing.
Feb.5,2015
Jan.22,2015
Jan.21 –Feb.1,2015
