Increasing the service charge would allow Alberta Canola to rebalance our budget and restore financial reserves that would give the organization long-term sustainability. It would also enable us to strategically enhance initiatives that support grower success. Farmers need sharp financial pencils to be successful on their own farms, and they should expect the same from their commissions.
Let me be very clear: long before even considering asking for additional funds, we at Alberta Canola conducted a comprehensive review of our operations, tightening our operating budget in every way possible. Then we looked at our mandate and the services our growers expect from us to determine if we could reduce deliverables while still maintaining the programs and efforts you expect from Alberta Canola.
The reality is that if Alberta Canola were to reduce its budget by 20%, it would severely compromise our ability to deliver what you’ve told us you need. Yet even a cut of that size — which would demand eliminating one or more of our key operational pillars — would not put the organization back onto firm financial footing.
This ask won’t come as a surprise for many. Over the last couple years, we’ve reached out regularly to our growers to talk about our efforts, celebrate our wins, and collect perspectives on a path forward. We have spoken openly about our financial challenges at all our regional Grower Engagement Meetings (GEMs) throughout 2023, at our 2024 AGM, and in various articles in our newsletters and websites. I’m proud and pleased to say the feedback we’ve received to date on the concept of a service charge increase has been resoundingly positive.
Repeatedly, we’ve heard “Keep doing what you’re doing. Farmers need someone working on these tough issues on our behalf,” and “We support you. What do you need to regain financial stability?”
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