Alberta Wheat, Barley Farmers Vote in Favour of Amalgamation

Preliminary results show farmers in Alberta have voted in favour of the Alberta Barley Commission (ABC) and the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) to amalgamate, a Nov. 2 news release said.

Barley farmers were 89 per cent in favour of the merger, while wheat farmers were at 88 per cent. There were 1,569 votes were cast over the month of October in both plebiscites — 606 from barley voters and 963 from wheat voters. The release noted both plebiscites saw a 6.1 per cent of eligible voters participated.

The amalgamation vote was held over the month of October by the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council in collaboration with third-party election advisor MNP and the two commissions. Two plebiscite votes for wheat and barley farmers were conducted with voting happening online or by telephone.

“A clear direction was provided by both wheat and barley farmers on the preferred path forward for the organizations,” Tara Sawyer, chair for ABC, said in the release. “We look forward to informing our farmers on the next steps in the process at our winter meetings.”