b"????????????????strength as two major crops working together, as opposed to doing it separately. Our voice is already being heard, and we have been working together. The two commissions have been working together for the past five years, and we haven't felt that We have more strength asour voices have any less emphasis than it had before. In fact, in some cases, were looked on as more of a powerful agency or two major crops workingpowerful voice for farmers because we have two major crops together, as opposedthat we represent. If you look at other models in Canada, the Manitoba Crop to doing it separately. Alliance has a number of commodities under one umbrella. TheTom Steve Grain Farmers of Ontario has all the major crops under a single commission and the Quebec grain farmers organization, PGQ, also has all of the major crops under one commission. This is a logical step from our perspective.ASG: There's been quite a few amalgamations happening or will happen in Alberta, your own associations, and then the Alberta and British Columbia seed growers merged in 2022. Is there a And not spend as much of our money on administration andreason we have seen it happen in Alberta specifically?overlap. So, as an example, we have two boards at the moment,TS: I don't know if it's specific to Alberta because there are other we have two financial structures, two annual audits and twoexamples of consolidation going on or that have in the past. annual general meetings.The examples of the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Quebec Grain If there's a con to it, some have raised the prospect that theGrowers, and the Manitoba Crop Alliance, and I would further smaller acreage crops won't get the same attention as the largerpoint out that the provincial dairy organizations, the Western acreage crop. In this case wheat is the larger of the two. AndCanadian ones, are looking at consolidating into a single dairy there have been concerns that there wouldn't be as much focuscommission. So, it's not specific to Alberta. But certainly, we're on barley as there is on wheat simply because of the sheer sizepleased to set this particular example and we'll see how others of the acreage and the checkoff dollars involved. We've goneunfold in the future.to great lengths during the time that we've been operating two commissions to ensure that we do place equal emphasis on theASG: Have provincial government changes to how two commodities, and I think the results of the plebiscites giveag research is conducted played any part in the us comfort that farmers believe that's the case. amalgamations weve seen?TS: I would say no, we still participate in the same funding calls ASG: What considerations did your group considerfor wheat and barley. We look at them on a commodity specific when you first started exploring amalgamating? basis. The existence of Results Driven Agriculture Research has I TS: I think the major ones were how is this going to affect ourthink been a benefit, because it's a lot clearer what their funding relationships throughout the value chain of wheat and thephilosophy is for significant projects that benefit farmers than it value chain of barley. And again, addressing some of the issueswas when it was under the provincial government. around the desire to have a strong focus on barley, even thoughSo, it really hasn't had an effect on our intentions. Going wheat is a more dominant acreage crop across Western Canada.forward, we will still have a strong focus on barley research and Those were some considerations.a strong focus on wheat research. And our funding decisions Our membership in various national and provincialwill be made on the basis of the merit of those projects.organizations, we would go from two memberships to one, would that reduce our voice? Or would it amplify it further? AndASG: Do you think we'll see more mergers of we will be reviewing and revisiting all of the memberships thatassociations happen in the future?we have in various organizations as we build a new model. ButTS: It's difficult to predict. But I think that the trend is pretty I think the consensus was that there is some duplication andclear that there is a desire for organizations to work together. overlap because the farmers that grow wheat for the most partAnd because their voices are stronger, and their influence on grow barley and vice versa, and it just makes sense for us togovernment agencies is stronger in terms of seeking funding work together collaboratively. and really influencing policy. So, I do think there will be additional mergers under consideration in the future, but I just ASG: What effect does it have for farmers if there arecan't say which ones or when, but it's definitely a trend we're fewer groups advocating for them? seeing in the marketplace.TS: I would make the opposite case, which is that we have more Ashley Robinson20seed.ab.ca"