Forage Commission Formed

EDMONTON - May 25/94 - SNS -- The Alberta Peace Region Forage Seed Grower was created under the provincial Marketing of Agricultural Products Act to help further develop the industry.

The forage seed industry in the Peace Region is currently worth between $30 and $40 million in farm gate sales annually. After Oregon, the Peace Region is the second largest forage seed-growing region in the world.

"The Alberta Peace Region Forage Seed Growers was formed after two years of producer consultation led by the Peace Region Forage Seed Association (PRFSA)," says Dave Forgie, president of the PRFSA and a forage seed farmer in the Falher area. "Although the PRFSA has done lots of important work, the industry is now of a size where stable funding supported by all regional forage seed producers is needed."

The Alberta Peace Region Forage Seed Growers commission will have three producer-elected directors.

The commission will use producer funds to further enhance the development of the industry. "Funds will be used to support research and extension projects that are requested by turf and forage seed producers in the Peace," says Sandra Burton, the PRFSA coordinator.

"The commission is set to start collecting a service charge of three-quarters of one per cent on forage seed sales starting July 1, 2004. Seed dealers will deduct the service charge from the producer's cheque and submit it to the commission office."

Producers who do not support the research and extension activities of the commission may ask for a refund. The commission is obligated to provide the refund. "Refundable commissions must report both the number of producers requesting refunds and the total amount of refunds each year," says Mike Pearson, with the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council (AAPMC), that supervises all 18 boards and commissions. "If refund requests are high, the AAPMC would require a producer vote to see if the commission should continue operations."

"This is truly a producer effort in the region," says Forgie. "British Columbia Peace Region producers will also implement the same refundable levy on the same day."

Each year, Alberta and B.C. producers will meet under the PRFSA umbrella to decide on strategic funding priorities. "By jointly administering the program in both provinces, producers ensure that the vast majority of the funds go directly into coordinated research and extension activities," says Calvin Yoder a forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Spirit River.