SASKATOON — A farmer who helped establish the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission wants the organization to review its funding of the Canola Council of Canada.
Zenneth Faye, who was also a founding member of Milligan Biotech, Canada’s first commercial biodiesel plant, asked the board of SaskCanola to examine the value that the council delivers to the province’s farmers.
He noted at the SaskCanola annual general meeting that it is a big-ticket item. In fact, it is the organization’s second biggest expenditure behind research and development.
SaskCanola spent $1.59 million funding the council in 2022-23 and has budgeted $1.75 million for 2023-24.
“I would encourage you to examine that,” said Faye.
SaskCanola chair Keith Fournier said the council went through a restructuring in 2018 that resulted in producer groups picking up more of the tab in the wake of Richardson International pulling its funding for the organization.
He said he would like to see a different funding arrangement with a better balance.
“I do agree with Zenneth, it’s something we need to look at and we are looking at it,” Fournier told delegates attending the AGM.
SaskCanola executive director Tracy Broughton said the topic has come up at board meetings, but nothing specific has been discussed.
“We’re having some sort of high-level discussions, but I don’t have any clear answers on what that might look like,” she said.
“We haven’t sat down and said, ‘OK, we want this, and we want that, and we want the other thing.’ ”
Broughton pointed out that while the proportion of funding paid by provincial producer groups went up compared to other members of the value chain following the reorganization, the total annual expenditure has declined.
For instance, in 2016-17 SaskCanola spent $1.89 million funding the council.
She also wanted to make it clear that SaskCanola is supportive of the council’s value-chain model, where producers sit at the same board table with processors, exporters and life science companies.
Broughton said the council provides a lot of value to growers on market access, regulatory and agronomy issues, as well as co-ordinating all the science clusters.
She noted that the council’s Keep it Coming 2025 strategic plan is coming to an end, which is probably a good time to discuss funding and other issues.
Faye’s suggestion was not a formal resolution, but Broughton said it will still be discussed at the board table.
Faye also asked about the status of Richardson. Fournier said there was no change. The grain company is still not part of the council.
