Guelph, Ontario, Canada
December 12, 2008
The three organizations
representing Ontario corn, soybean, and wheat producers will
immediately begin
the transition to
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) following a news release from
the Vice Chair of Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission
earlier today.
The announcement completes a four-year process driven by
resolutions from members of Ontario Corn Producers’ Association
(OCPA), Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG) and Ontario Wheat
Producers’ Marketing Board (OWPMB).
Resolutions were in support of forming one organization to
represent the needs of Ontario corn, soybean and wheat
producers. A producer vote involving all 29,000 members of the
three organizations was held in Sept 2008.
“This announcement marks the end of a very long process,” says
Dave Whaley, Chair of OWPMB. “Our directors and staff have been
very patient over the past four years and they are our main
priority.”
The first order of business for the GFO transition plan involves
mobilizing a human resources consulting firm to ensure as smooth
a transition as possible.
“There are a lot of puzzle pieces to fit together now, including
staff roles and responsibilities and introducing a new board of
directors,” says Leo Guilbeault, Chair of OSG. “We did as much
preparation as we could in anticipation of a ‘yes vote’ so our
team is ready to hit the ground running.”
Under the current transition plan OCPA, OSG, and OWPMB are
expected to dissolve upon completion of the legislative process.
A transitional board and CEO will be in place later in 2009.
Elections for 150 delegate positions and 15 directors will take
place on an annual basis beginning Jan 2010.
“Our members have given clear direction to the Ontario Farm
Products Marketing Commission on how they want to be
represented, and we’re committed to ensuring we provide value to
them through Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO),” says Dale
Mountjoy, President of OCPA. “We appreciate the strong support
the Minister has given to this proposal. We now look forward to
working with OFPMC through the rest of the process.”
Producers looking for more information can attend district
annual meetings throughout the month of January. A
complete listing of the meetings will be available at
www.grainfarmersontario.com. |
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