Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Solutions for Profitable Agriculture will be the theme of the upcoming Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) conference in Saskatoon on March 15, 16 and 17, 2006.
“We are happy to host our convention in Saskatchewan this year, as it usually rotates among the three Prairie Provinces. There are great things on the agenda,” says Cherilyn Jolly, president of the WCWGA.
Organizers have put together a program that is sure to generate a lot of debate, she says.
“I am most looking forward to the Australian Outlook speaker, Neil Wandell, the Deputy Chairman of Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd. He will be coming all the way from Australia on that occasion. My husband and I went to Australia a couple of years ago, and had an opportunity to work with Neil on his farm, doing some custom harvesting, and we have kept in touch ever since in various other capacities. The economic outlook for pulse and wheat growers will be discussed. So I am really looking forward to having Neil come down to share his perspective.”
Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd is owned by group of farmers that got together to co-ordinate efforts within the agriculture industry. They own flour mills and various other properties around the world that handle commodities, explains Jolly.
“There will be some examples of what can be done to draw from the Australian experience,” Jolly says.
Jolly feels the WCWGA is playing an important role in shaping agriculture policy in Canada.
“We are stronger than ever with our new board of directors. We are all farmers, first of all. The majority of us are under the age of 35. We very much have a vested interest in the future of agriculture. All the policy decisions we put forward are done with new energy and enthusiasm. We fully respect what has happened in the industry, but this industry is in trouble. We are in a bit of a crisis coming into seeding, and decisions need to be made,” Jolly says.
“We look at all options and policy orientations. For instance, bioenergy is an area we are looking at, and how we can make sure that each of our farms is able to succeed. This is why we have invited Brian Hayward, CEO of Agricore United, who will talk about Canadian and global trends in agriculture,
something he would know pretty well. We want to look beyond the farmgate; we want to look beyond our neighbours as competition and to think much more globally. Brian will bring to light for us trends that he sees coming over the next few years.”
To find out more about the WCWGA conference, download the draft agenda at: www.wheatgrowers.ca