Fast Facts
- There are 4,700 pulse producers in Alberta
- We are a non-profit organization, established in 1989
- Incorporated as a Comission under the Societies Act in 1998
- Run by a producer-elected board of directors comprised of 12 pulse producers
- - Funded by refundable levy, calculated as 1% of the value of the pulses sold by producers
- Pulse primary production contributed approximately $200 million to the Alberta economy in 2008
-Vision and Mission
•Vision: Have Alberta pulses recognized by consumers as environmentally friendly, healthy, nutritional, and recognized by all producers as being an essential element in a sustainable cropping system.
•Mission: To provide leadership, increasing the competitiveness, profitability, and sustainability of pulse production as well as promoting the health and environment benefits of pulses.
APG's Goals (approved by APG Board September 2010)
Goal 1: Organizational Effectiveness & Governance Renewal
Strengthen relationships and collaborate with other organizations for the benefit of advancing APG initiatives.
Improve APG’s governance, structure and policy to carry out strategic blueprint.
- Communicate effectively between and within board, committees, zones and staff.
- Provide leadership training for current board effectiveness and succession planning.
- Build enthusiasm to attract producer involvement and support APG.
ACTIONS:
- Focus on a strategic alliance with Pulse Canada
- Make independent decisions and carve out an APG niche by championing projects that are solely APG priorities (i.e. fractionation)
- Build stronger alliances with the trade
- Rework committee structure, benchmark performance and re-assess yearly
- Board assessment and professional development training
Goal 2: Create and Maintain Market Demand
- Develop the pulse brand as a healthy food option and promote it to dieticians/other health professionals and youth.
- Support research to:
- improve understanding of fractions and their functionality in food products.
- identify pulse health benefits.
- Support Pulse Canada to create and expand international and domestic markets (includes ensuring market access).
- Enhance non-traditional value added markets in Alberta (AB niche markets, processing).
- Position APG as an innovative leader in the Canadian pulse industry.
- Promote quality of Canadian/Alberta pulses to domestic and international buyers.
ACTIONS:
- Participate in international trade missions
- Lobby for Free Trade Agreements in relevant markets
- Collect quantitative data on the attribute analysis of Canadian pulses (i.e. nutrient attributes, consistency)
- Use data for promotional activities to brand Canadian pulses as more than commodity pulses
- Financially support Pulse Canada’s Pulse Health, Innovation and Commercialization
Goal 3: Increase Producer Profitability
- Fund research to support new varieties (breeding), disease resistance, rotational benefits, improved quality.
- Ensure research capacity exists to conduct pulse production research in the next 5, 10, 20 years.
- Develop risk management tools that are equitable with those of other crops.
- Communicate research results to producers on agronomic and varietal information.
ACTIONS:
- Fund Regional Variety Trials
- Fund breeding program at CDC and/or AAFC
- Ensure provincial pulse specialists are maintained or expanded
- Get producer input on research priority needs in agronomic research information and fill them.
Audited Financial Statements