Date posted: March 30, 2004

Shifting power to crop subcommittees

Greater control over appeal processes and crop-specific issues cited as key drivers of resolution to dissolve PRRCG.

The future of Western Canada's major recommending body for grain registration took a dramatic shift at the Prairie Regional Recommending Committee for Grain (PRRCG) annual meeting, Feb. 24-26, in Saskatoon.

The roughly 200 PRRCG members in attendance voted by the required greater than two-thirds majority to dissolve the committee, effective April 1, 2005, and shift full powers to its four crop-specific subcommittees, allowing them to become independent recommending committees.

The resolution, which still requires approval by the Variety Registration Office (VRO) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), is largely the result of a desire for greater control among the subcommittees to handle appeal processes and other governance issues, and to deal directly with the VRO on crop-specific issues, says Dr. Mario Therrien, PRRCG Chair. This thinking has emerged in part due to a request by CFIA that the PRRCG re-examine its role as part of the CFIA's broad review of the variety registration system.

"What we're proposing is to remove a layer of governance that the PRRCG members have come to feel is unnecessary," says Therrien. "The subcommittees have, for the most part, operated independently anyway, with the PRRCG executive acting essentially as a rubber stamp on subcommittee decisions. However, to this point, the appeals process and some governance issues have remained handled by the executive. This resolution would shift these powers to the current subcommittees, which are better equipped to make decisions in the best interests of the crop areas they represent."

Balancing crop needs with group benefits

The vote is the culmination of several years of debate on the issue of subcommittee power. In 2002, the PRRCG's Wheat, Rye and Triticale Subcommittee voted to break away from the larger PRRCG body and form its own recommending committee - a move that was held off to allow PRRCG as a whole to address subcommittee concerns.

In addition to the Wheat, Rye and Triticale Subcommittee, the PRRCG includes the Barley and Oat Subcommittee, the Pulse and Special Crops Subcommittee and the Oilseeds Subcommittee.

In previous meetings, members representing larger acreage crops have cited a need for more subcommittee control over appeal processes and operating procedures, in order to better deal with crop-specific issues, such as stringent quality requirements. They have also expressed a desire to deal more directly with CFIA on looming issues, such as genetically modified crop lines and plants with novel traits (PNTs). On the other hand, those representing smaller crops have cited a need to preserve the strength and efficiency of working with other crop groups within PRRCG.

The current resolution reflects a balance of both views, says Therrien. While subcommittees would become independent recommending committees with greater control over their activities, an element of the PRRCG umbrella would be preserved to perform common administrative and liaison functions.

According to the resolution, the PRRCG handling of appeals from the subcommittees would be conducted as outlined in the procedures of the individual recommending committees, in which there would be a provision for the option of a third-party based committee to rule on the appeals. Also, the newly created recommending committees would have the option of using their existing membership in the Western Expert Committee on Grain Breeding as a basis to meet in a common forum and conduct business of mutual concern.

Even if the resolution is approved by CFIA, the PRRCG still plans to hold a final annual meeting under the current structure in February 2005.

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