RVP File Photo

The Alberta Barley Commission supports recently announced funding for barley and wheat research and market development.

view all photos (-count-)

Commission supports funding for barley and wheat research

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced funding for barley and wheat research and market development on May 22.

The Alberta Barley Commission will be the agency of record responsible for administering a deduction on barley and wheat sales in Western Canada.

These funds will be distributed to the Western Grains Research Foundation, the Canadian International Grains Institute and the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre.

“The Alberta Barley Commission strongly supports continued, ongoing research and market development in both barley and wheat,” said Commission Chairman Matt Sawyer.

“Our goal is to ensure there are no funding disruptions for these organizations when the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act goes into effect on August 1, 2012.”

AAFC Minister Gerry Ritz said the specifics of the changes to the Canada Grain Act regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette before the end of May.

“As a grassroots, farmer-run organization, we understand the weight of this responsibility and we take that very seriously,” said Sawyer.

He noted that the Commission has more than 20 years of experience managing point-of-sale deductions for barley in Alberta, a job that includes collecting remittances from grain buyers and processing refund requests from farmers.

“This is our area of expertise,” said General Manager Lisa Skierka.

“We are confident in our ability to administer this program effectively and efficiently.”

Farmers, industry stakeholders and the public are invited to provide feedback on the regulations once they are released. Residents are encouraged to check the AAFC website (www.agr.gc.ca) and the Alberta Barley Commission website (www.albertabarley.com) for regular updates over the coming weeks.