• 2010-2011 Board of Directors
• Arlynn Kurtz
• Ernie Briggs
• Norm Nordgulen
• Todd Lewis
• Don Connick (VP)
• Kevin Gilbert
• David Spencer
• Norm Hall
• Greg Marshall (President)
• Garth Burns
• Jeff Simpson (VP)
• Charles Boser
• Directors' Reports
• Archived Reports
• President's Report: Oct'09
• President's Report: July'09
• President's Report: June'09
• President's Report: April'09
• President's Report: Mar'09
• President's Report: Feb'09
• President's Report: Jan'09
• President's Report: Dec'08
• District 4 Report: Nov 09
• District 4 Report: Mar'09
• District 4 Report: Feb'09
• District 4 Report: Dec'08
• District 6 Report: Feb'09
• GM's Report: Nov'09
• GM's Report: Aug'09
• GM's Report: July'09
• GM's Report: June'09
• GM's Report: April'09
• GM's Report: March'09
• GM's Report: Feb'09
• GM's Report: Dec'08
• 2010-11 APAS RM Reps
• Committees & Advisory Groups
• Staff

President's Report: June'09

Hello from APAS

I hope you are receiving enough rainfall to make a difference to hay, pastures and germinating crops. If now we can only get some heat. I have done many press interviews on this very subject and am desperate to hear and be able to pass on some good news.

The federal government recently introduced legislation to increase loan access to beginning farmers by changes to FIMCLA, the Farm Improvement and Marketing Cooperatives Loans Act. This is a very positive initiative and is exactly what APAS wanted when we were involved in the consultations on potential changes to FIMCLA.

We have sent a joint letter to Minister Ritz and key stakeholders on behalf of grain producers in Western Canada requesting a full costing review of a railway revenue cap on grain transportation. There is currently a service review underway. The federal government’s position is that the service review must be completed before a costing review is launched. Delays in the completion of the service review only make a bad situation worse: producers are now having to wait another 6 to 12 months before the much needed review of actual railway costs can begin.

Vice President Don Connick is attending the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council meetings this week in St. John’s.

If you haven’t already done so I urge you to register and to attend the upcoming midterm meeting in Saskatoon. The agenda is now comfirmed and we have a very special Wednesday evening event for you to attend with your spouse.