Ontario growers voted unanimously to support short- and long-term funding strategies proposed at a recent meeting hosted by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) Growers Group. The presentation was just one of many held across Canada to gather ideas and support to more effectively deal with issues of both national and international importance to this sector.
Ontario growers were invited to attend the information meeting, held December 2, 2002, in Oakville. On hand to represent the national growers group were: chair Jeff Hicks (Pickett’s Nursery, BC), CNLA president Vic Krahn, (Lakeshore Tree Farms, SK) and Bruce McTavish, (Pacific Plants, BC).
The objective of the presentation was three-fold: to provide the industry with a better understanding of the issues at hand, to obtain a financial commitment as part of a short-term funding strategy and to garner support for future longer-term funding strategies.
As part of the short-term funding strategy, growers are asked to contribute a one-time donation, with the amount based on company size, to allow CNLA to hire a pesticide registration coordinator. This proposed program is modeled after a very successful initiative by Flowers Canada. Executive director Garry Watson provided information on how the association successfully obtained over 20 minor use registrations. Growers were also informed that matching government funding could leverage all monies collected by industry. A formula based on farm gate values puts Ontario’s share of the required funding at approximately $60,000.
CNLA’s long-term objective is to hire a full-time grower advocate whose sole responsibility will be to deal with all national grower issues. Up until now, many of these jobs were accomplished with the assistance of volunteer help. This past year alone, conservative estimates show that four volunteers working only on the government relations committee provided a total of 240 days working on behalf of the grower industry in Canada. The increase in both the number and complexity of grower issues makes it evident that a continued reliance on volunteer help is not prudent.
With the unanimous decision to support these strategies, CNLA and Landscape Ontario started the process and recently issued invoices to grower members. Look to future issues of Horticulture Review for a list of Ontario’s supporting growers.
Details on the meeting and the funding strategies proposed by the CNLA are available in the November issue of Horticulture Review.
