A single wheat and barley commission: where do you stand?

A journey that started almost four years ago to combine the resources of the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions has entered a new phase and we will soon be asking farmers to provide input on the merits of taking it to the next level. But first, a bit of background.

In late September of 2017 the commission boards announced a four-month trial of a single management team. I had been serving as general manager of the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) and took on the additional role of interim manager of Alberta Barley. We had already been sharing office space as well as accounting and administrative functions, so going the extra mile to a combined management team seemed like a logical next step.

On January 31, 2018, the shared management structure was made official and management was directed to formalize an operating model that would see us serve both the wheat and barley commission boards.

The new operating model was put in place in the summer of 2018 and cost savings in the first year were $350,000, rising to $410,000 in year two. Since then we have continued to operate as one management team serving two commissions and two boards.

In 2019, motions were passed at the AGMs of both commissions urging the boards to explore the idea of a more formal amalgamation and in early 2020 we formed an amalgamation sub- committee with equal representation from each commission to move the ball forward.

Starting this summer, we will be reaching out to you to seek your views on a fully integrated wheat and barley commission.

First, we will be outlining the value proposition. What’s to be gained from going to the next step? The integrated management team has given us greater capacity and synergies in areas such as research, extension, communications, events, policy and markets, but what additional benefits can be achieved – and for that matter, what are the risks if we don’t move forward?

Are there concerns about the loss of barley’s voice, given that wheat is a much larger acreage crop? How will we brand a combined commission?

How will the new board be structured and how will we ensure strong regional representation at the delegate/regional representative level?

And, how would we divide the check-off dollars? Currently, we have two separate budgets for the commissions.

Our consultations over the summer will be followed by virtual town hall meetings after harvest and regional meetings in November. We look forward to hearing from you.