Disappointment Around the MOU

The countryside is buzzing about the latest developments in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) process, which was to see the formation of a single grain and oilseed organization, replacing Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA), Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG) and Ontario Wheat
Producers’ Marketing Board (OWPMB).

As the Boards prepared for a late November meeting that was intended to review the final information package that would have been forwarded to the Farm Products Marketing Commission and, by the Commission sent to our producers along with a ballot for their opportunity to vote, the Ontario Soybean Growers made a unilateral decision to remove themselves from the MOU process entirely.

OCPA directors have worked hard over the past three and a half years on the MOU, and they believe that it has been a productive, transparent, and consultative process. It’s worth noting that the process itself was initiated by producers, through resolutions brought to each organization’s annual general meeting year after year. The MOU committee sought producer feedback in 2005 on the proposed options of what a new organization
might look like. We also involved a grassroots committee of individuals to further work on the proposed framework for the new organization.

The process was paused at a few points along the way to allow the committee to dedicate the necessary time and resources to examine the many different ideas, concerns, and suggestions that came forward. The MOU committee – comprised of directors from all three organizations – gave careful consideration to every bit of that feedback.

After all of that, we believed that we were close to being ready to provide you, our members, with the information you would need to be able to make an informed decision about whether or not you supported the formation of a single grain and oilseed organization. We were confident in the due diligence that had been taken as we combined producer mailing lists, budget forecasts and financial statements, and initial plans for staffing the new structure. In the end, we need to agree to disagree with the Ontario Soybean Growers’ decision that what we came up with was not in the best interest of Ontario producers.

Although the OCPA Board is disappointed that the process will not move forward, we remain hopeful. That’s because we believe in the validity of the process that was followed, and regardless of what the final producer vote resulted in, we believe we have done our due diligence to bring this producer-initiated process to its conclusion.

We are hopeful because we believe in the democratic process in which each of our directors is elected, and we believe in the strength of the resolution process that brought us to move toward the MOU process in the first place.

As we head into our January annual county meetings, we need to hear what you, our members, think about the discontinuation of the MOU process. Do you want all three groups to come back to the table, and continue to work on the formation of a single grain and oilseed organization, or are you pleased with the decision to halt the process? It doesn’t matter what direction you give us, as long as you continue to provide direction.
Each of our directors is elected to represent the interests of each organization’s members in his or her district, and we take that role very seriously. We came through the MOU process at our growers’ direction through the resolution process, and we will completely abandon the MOU process or reignite it by the same route.

It’s interesting to consider that one concern the MOU committee had as we were going through the process was the question of grower will. We have 25,000 corn, soybean and wheat producers across the province, but it has always been difficult to judge support. If only a fraction of producers respond to our questionnaires, our surveys, and ultimately our producer vote, does that make the rest of the producers supportive, unsupportive or apathetic?

If there’s one thing this last month has taught us, it’s that we have far more producers invested in the MOU process than we ever anticipated. Regardless of what side of the fence our producers are on, their phone calls and letters to members of the media tell us they are engaged in the direction they think our organizations should move. Now, your OCPA Board is hopeful you will exercise your right to provide direction. We have renewed confidence in the strength, the engagement, and the commitment our producers have for building a better grain and oilseed industry for this province, and your Board of Directors at OCPA is committed to working with you to ensure we achieve your vision for a stronger, more profitable, more efficient grains and oilseed industry in Ontario.

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