FNA to act as CWB agent

Staff with Farmers of North America (FNA) will soon be able to act as the middleman for farmers interested in contracting grain to CWB.

Saskatoon-based FNA, a farmers’ buying group negotiating deals on low-cost inputs and other farm supplies and services, announced Thursday its staff will act as "a key sourcing agent for CWB contracts" starting Jan. 29 (Tuesday).

As per the group’s agreement with CWB, FNA staff will "communicate CWB pool and program information to farmers and sign up their contracts."

Bill Martin, FNA’s vice-president for grain handling and marketing, said Friday the group will offer "a number of incentives" to growers signing with the former Canadian Wheat Board through FNA.

Specific incentives will be announced next week, he said, but noted the group has negotiated a rate on CWB’s fees that will allow FNA members to get cash back on CWB contracts through the group’s MPower rewards program.

Farmers would contact FNA’s office in Saskatoon to connect to its staff representative nearest them. Once signed up with a CWB contract, a farmer will then be able to deliver grain on the contract to any Prairie elevator or producer car loading site.

Martin said in the group’s release Thursday that the agreement marks a "key advance for farmers in ensuring a competitive environment in the grain marketing sector."

FBNA’s basic philosophy, he said Friday, is to maintain competition in the marketplace in all product lines and segments in which it deals, "to have the maximum choice available."

The goal of the agreement, he said, is to ensure CWB "remains a competitive player and a valuable option for farmers."

CWB CEO Ian White noted the former board’s programs "are similar to FNA’s other services in that they help put more money in farmers’ pockets."

Promoting the CWB pools in Thursday’s release, he reiterated farmers "receive all the profits earned from selling their grain through the pooling period, less a fixed management fee."

Related stories:
Seed capital seen growing for FNA fertilizer project, Oct. 16, 2012
All Prairie grain handlers now CWB-compatible, Aug. 7, 2012