A bid to make the checkoff for lamb producers non-refundable has been defeated in a plebiscite.
“Most producers that voted were in favour of the status quo, a refundable service charge model,” Alberta Lamb Producers said on its website.
Just over 15 per cent of eligible producers voted, with 147 in favour of keeping the refundable service charge model and 105 in favour of making it non-refundable.
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Producers pay the $1.50 service charge when buying Canadian Sheep Identification Program tags.
The farm group says that it depends entirely on checkoffs for its core operations and services.
“Industry service charges are very important to a producer group, especially to this relatively small but expanding livestock sector,” it states on its website.
“We run a very lean operation. There is no fat to cut. Checkoff refunds will reduce services for all producers. If we want the future of the Alberta lamb industry to be sustainable and gain momentum, we all need to support it.”
Alberta Lamb Producers collected $243,000 in sheep checkoffs in its most recent fiscal year and issued about $48,000 in checkoff refunds.
