GUELPH — A new marketing board – the Grain Farmers of Ontario – is an amalgamation of the Ontario Soybean Growers, the Ontario Corn Producers Association and the Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Board and is expected to open for business in December.

The new board will represent Ontario’s 28,386 producers of the three commodities, including 4,240 producers east of Toronto, and provide advocacy, marketing and market development initiatives, and leadership in research and innovation.

There will be 15 directors across the province, including three east of Toronto, and will be appointed by the Minister of Agriculture until elections are held next year. They are expected to be Dale Mountjoy, of Oshawa, Don Kenney of Stittsville and Robert Massie, of Alexandria in Glengarry County.

At elections next January, each district will elect a minimum of eight delegates.

Most likely, in early March 2010, the elected delegates will choose the directors for their districts. At this time, the new board of directors would replace the interim Board appointed by the Minister of Agriculture.

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Who will the Grain Farmers of Ontario represent?

Breakdown of producers across the province:

• About 15,000 producers market corn.

• About 14,000 producers market wheat.

• 23% of producers market all three crops.

Breakdown of producers east of Toronto:

• Corn producers: 2,370

• Soybean producers: 2,811

• Wheat producers: 1,853