ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
Year 2000 Agri-eBusiness Project
By Don LeDrew, OCPA General Manager
The Ontario grain and oilseeds sector is gearing up this fall to develop its own internet-based electronic business
community. The charter members of the “Agri-eBusiness Group” are the Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board,
Ontario Corn Producers’ Association, Ontario Soybean Growers’ Marketing Board and the Agricultural Commodity Corporation.
Phase one of the project will include development of a system for data collection, transmission, and processing
entries between elevator dealers and the participating producer organizations. This will include sales data, check-off,
advance payment and commodity loan repayments. The goal in phase one is to work with at least six elevator dealers
in developing and testing this system in the 1999-2000 crop year. Indeed, we now are finalizing this co-operative
effort for initiation in early 2000. The Ontario Grain and Feed Association has been involved in the development
of this initiative and will continue to play an active role as a member of the steering committee. Also, the Agri-eBusiness
Group is grateful for the 50 per cent funding being provided through the Rural Job Strategy Fund.
Phase two and future phases of the project will be determined by the results of phase one and the wishes of the
industry in expanding the use of this system...not only in the grain and oilseeds sector, but potentially to other
applications in the agri-food industry.
Agri-eBusiness Group has partnered with SNS/Assure Corporation (SNS) after receiving six proposals in early 1999
from companies who specialize in the systems development necessary for this undertaking. SNS is highly regarded
worldwide in the area of electronic business and has earned a reputation for confidential, secure database management.
This experience includes more than 15 years in credit card processing between banks and retailers, as well as processing
prescription payments for pharmacies and hospitals, andinsurance data for dental and other health-related claims.
SNS was the first non-financial institution admitted as a member of Interac.
Improving efficiencies is the key goal of the project. Some possible results include more timely statistical information
reporting, which may lead to speedier Market Revenue Program payments. Reduction of time and costs in entering
data for both elevators and producer organizations, a centralizing data warehouse which allows producers to track
their own commodity transactions in a password-secure environment, provision of a single producer number, and other
options similar to an on-line PC banking structure are all potential benefits of a successful system.
This is the first in a series of brief updates on the project’s progress. For more information, contact one of
the four member organizations of the Agri-eBusiness Group.
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