An Alberta Oat Commission

At oat producer meetings held in Alberta in April 2008 (at Grande Prairie, Barrhead and Vegreville) growers indicated near-unanimous support for an Alberta Oat Grower Commission. As a result, the Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA) now is working with a core group of Alberta oat growers to take the next step.

An Alberta Oat Grower Commission would set up and administer a 50 cents per tonne (about 3/4 cent per bushel) refundable check-off on oats grown in Alberta and sold for milling or feed uses.

Albert farmers lead the way

The Prairie Oat Growers Association, founded by concerned oat growers in 1998 was strongly supported with dollars and time, by Alberta farmers. Since then POGA  has successfully organized oat grower associations in Saskatchewan (2006) and Manitoba (2008).

They are authorized to administer the check off, providing sustainable funding for production and marketing research, extension, and education initiatives for the benefit of oat growers. Before the check-offs were implemented in Saskatchewan and Manitoba the only major stakeholders in the oat industry that did not provide funding or direction for oat research was oat producers!

A voice for Alberta oats

Today Canadian oats dominate North American milling markets but there are forces in North America and Europe which constantly threaten our ability to export oats. US interests annually lobby their government for more dollar commitments to oat research.

Alberta growers can support a strong, persistent voice to advance the unique interests of Canadian prairie-grown oats. Alberta Oat Grower Association directors will become the Alberta representatives on the board of the Prairie Oat Growers Association.

What's being done now?

These are just a few of the initiatives which have been enabled by check-off funds from Saskatchewan and Manitoba in only two years!

• Prairie Oat Breeding Consortium, Cereal Research Centre, Manitoba
• World Oat Market Study by Ag Commodity Research
• US Equine Study by Ag Commodity Research
• Grains Innovation Laboratory
• Feed Innovations Institute
• Independent Study of Root Patterns in Oats
• Row Spacing Study: What’s Optimum for Oats
• Fungicide in Oats for Disease Control (study)
• Grain Growers of Canada membership
• Collaboration with Western Grains Research Foundation
• World Oat Research Conference

In addition to the above, oat check-off funds have flowed to educational efforts (such as Ag in the classroom) and enabled participation in industry and Trade events.

Make a difference in Alberta

By supporting a 50 cent/tonne check-off, Alberta Oat Growers will join forces with their Saskatchewan and Manitoba neighbours. Alberta dollars would fund Alberta projects, but jointly the three provinces could multiply individual leverage up to 20,000 times creating a huge potential to impact both provincial and federal politicians!

Please fill out the short survey form below.

You can help

POGA believes that if the oat industry is to continue to grow, producers must help fund and direct production and market research. Oat production in western Canada has doubled in the last 10 years. Milling capacity has increased substantially with the building of new mills and the expansion of existing facilities.

POGA believes oats have tremendous potential in the far east and in the U.S. horse market, but it will be up to producers to take the initiative to develop these markets. Imagine the leverage oat growers can have if we can truthfully say to provincial and federal politicians that the Prairie Oat Growers Association represents over 20,000 constituents.

The Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council has directed us to attempt to measure oat producer support for this initiative. Will you please take a minute to complete the questionnaire and mail it back to the Alberta Oat Growers Association?

What's in it for you?

Prairie oat growers have identified several areas to enhance profitability to farmers and value to our customers:

• Increased profitability through oat agronomy, including more efficient fertilizer and chemical use and through developing more farmer-friendly varieties;
• Research on continued varietal development and disease resistance;
• Enhanced market opportunities in livestock feed and forage oats as well as potential development of oat products in areas such as healthy food, neutraceuticals, functional foods;
• Oat marketing extensions through the association newsletter, other publications and grower meetings;
• Development of partnerships to ensure benefits of value added processing accrue to oat growers;
• Alberta oat grower members will have a direct influence on the future of their industry by electing and providing input to farmer directors. Members will also share in the decision making process to set marketing and research priorities at the annual general meeting.

Under this plan oats can be both heart-healthy and farmer profitable.