KAP Passes Five Resolutions At Advisory Council Meeting

 

Whereas, the majority of delivery points do not allow farmers to clean out their trailers; and Whereas, trailers are being cleaned out at roadsides or farmyards; and Whereas, cleaning out trailers on roadsides or farmyards can attract wildlife and cause the emergence of uncontrollable new weeds; now, therefore, be it Resolved, THAT KAP lobby the Government of Manitoba and work with stakeholders to find a solution to cleaning out commercial grain trucks and trailers after the delivery of grain.

 

 

Whereas, seed synergy and value creation are two separate issues; and Whereas, conversations and consultations pertaining to these issues are beginning again; and Whereas, producers want to learn about and understand these issues before coming to a conclusion; and Whereas, there is a lack of clear information explaining these issues to producers; now, therefore, be it Resolved, THAT KAP develop an easy to read and comprehensive document explaining the distinction between seed synergy and value creation.

 

 

Whereas, Manitoba Hydro has significantly reduced staff due to COVID-19; and, Whereas, Manitoba Hydro has been providing less than optimal service to farmers and rural Manitobans during COVID-19; and, Whereas, timely and efficient service and maintenance is important to the safety and sustainability of rural Manitobans and farmers; now, therefore, be it Resolved, THAT KAP lobby Manitoba Hydro and the Government of Manitoba to continue to provide adequate Manitoba Hydro services to farmers and rural Manitobans during COVID-19.

 

 

Whereas, KAP’s by-laws do not clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the four commodity group representatives who sit on KAPs board of directors; and Whereas, there has been confusion in the past over the process of selecting these representatives; now, therefore, be it Resolved, THAT KAP’s board of directors create a committee consisting of commodity group members and district directors to study and discuss the election of commodity group representatives to KAP’s board of directors, terms of reference, term limits and other issues the committee identifies; and, be it further Resolved, THAT the committee report back to KAP’s advisory council prior to November 2021 with recommendations.

 

 

Whereas, for the past several years prairie farmers have noted discrepancies in moisture readings when delivering grain to the elevators; and Whereas, the industry standard for testing moisture in grain for many decades has been the Labtronics 919/3.5” tester; and Whereas, the newer commercial UGMA-type testers frequently used by both grain companies and the Canadian Grain Commission has coincided with higher moisture readings in grain that has historically been considered dry; and Whereas, this new testing being used by the Canadian Grain Commission and grain companies is resulting in a change in the moisture standard and any major change in grading status or quality standards must go through a vetting process involving not only industry but also producers; and Whereas, no consultation has occurred with producers; and Whereas, differences in moisture level can result in farmers being unfairly penalized and increased costs; and Whereas, the Canadian Grain Commission, uses the Model 919/3.5” moisture meter conversion tables and continues to monitor and update them; and Whereas, thousands of Canadian farmers have used and continue to use the industry standard 919/3.5” tester; now, therefore, be it Resolved, THAT KAP lobby the Canadian Grain Commission to return to the use of the 919/3.5” tester for testing moisture; and be it further Resolved, THAT KAP lobby the Government of Canada and the Canadian Grain Commission to regulate the use of industry standard 919/3.5” testers in grain companies; and be it further Resolved, THAT KAP lobby the Government of Canada and the Canadian Grain Commission to mandate, at a minimum, yearly maintenance and calibration of grain companies’ testers by certified technicians/companies.