Alberta Barley is reminding farmers in Western Canada of the upcoming July 31 deadline for Western Wheat and Barley Check-Off (WWBC) Program refund applications.
The five-year transitional Wheat and Barley Check-Off was established on August 1, 2012 via regulations under the Canadian Grain Act, and is administered by Alberta Barley.
The WWBC is collected at the point of sale on Cash Purchase Tickets (CPT) at a rate of $0.48 per tonne of wheat and $0.56 per tonne of barley ($0.04 per tonne of barley sold in Alberta). Grain buyers are required by law to collect the check-off. The WWBC is separate from any existing provincial programs.
Check-offs collected through the program help fund the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) and the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi). These organizations lead the way in developing new varieties, new markets and more opportunities for wheat and barley farmers.
“Administration of this program has gone very well,” said Alberta Barley’s Chief Financial Officer Syeda Khurram. “In the coming months, our accounting staff will continue to actively answer check-off questions and assist producers through the refund process.”
The check-off, while mandatory, is refundable. Farmers wishing for a refund of their check-off dollars for the 2015–2016 crop year must submit a completed refund application to the administrator, Alberta Barley, by July 31, 2016. Refunds are only processed once a year with the cheques distributed yearly before the end of October.
Source : Albertabarley