The Western Grains Research Foundation board is now officially down two members after the merger of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and Agricore United.
Viterra, the now-merged SaskPool/AU, first told the foundation in December that the company’s governance structure no longer includes a farmer-directed board. That excludes Viterra from WGRF board membership under the foundation’s guidelines.
The foundation directs $4 million to $5 million per year in funding to crop research from farmer checkoffs and excess grain freight revenue forfeited by Canada’s two main railways.
SaskPool and AU had both been represented on the foundation board before their merger in March last year, the WGRF said. The foundation said Monday that it accepted Viterra’s withdrawal at its spring board meeting last month.
The foundation’s board now includes 16 members from farmer organizations from across Western Canada, among them national, regional and provincial general farm organizations and wheat, barley, flax, oat, canola and pulse growers’ groups, as well as the Canadian Wheat Board and the federal agriculture and agri-food department.
