April 8, 2008, Guelph, Ont. – The majority of Ontario’s greenhouse floriculture growers who
participated in a recent vote support Flowers Canada (Ontario) being
designated as their representative association and paying a mandatory
licence fee to fund the organization.
A total of 78.4 per cent of greenhouse floriculture growers
representing 90.7 per cent of the square footage of those casting valid
ballots voted in favour of the following question:
Are you
in favour of Flowers Canada (Ontario) being designated as the
representative association for all greenhouse floriculture growers in
Ontario of cut flowers, potted plants, annual bedding plants and
propagative plant materials, and paying an annual licence fee of 2
cents per square foot of greenhouse area to a maximum annual fee
payable of $13,000 (650,000 square feet) to finance the association’s
activities to stimulate, increase and improve the producing or
marketing of greenhouse floriculture products in Ontario?
“The commission needed to see a clear majority of growers supporting
such a request before we could confidently proceed with a
recommendation to the Minister, and that is reflected in this outcome,”
said Dave Hope, Chair of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing
Commission.
The mail-in expression of opinion vote was conducted by the Ontario
Farm Products Marketing Commission between Jan. 10 and Jan. 23 of this
year.
Only greenhouse floriculture growers growing 20,000 square feet or more
of cut flowers, potted plants, annual bedding plants and/or propagative
plant materials were eligible to vote on the question. Growers growing
less than 20,000 square feet would be exempt from paying the mandatory
fee.
A total of 51.7 per cent of the 356 known eligible greenhouse
floriculture growers who received a ballot participated in the vote.
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