Carrot classifications are the root of a problem for some growers in Portage la Prairie who say Peak of the Market is too strict on vegetable grading standards.

"The quality standards have become really high," grower Ernie Jeffries explains. "[Peak] forced us into the Premium grade last year. We put up enough of a fight so that's been dropped now. So, now it's CFIA [number] one. They can't reject anything above that... So, we're kind of winning the battle there. But we're still throwing out a lot of good product that's maybe just a little too skinny, or too long. It's premium vegetables, but we're being forced to throw it out because Peak doesn't want to do anything with it. And we have no options but to market through Peak of the Market with carrots."

Peak of the Market is a not-for-profit vegetable marketer, operating in Manitoba under the Farm Products Marketing Act. This means, like Jeffries says, growers have no choice but to market through Peak because it's mandated by provincial legislation.

Jeffries says last year, an inspector came to look at their carrots, determining they made the cut as good number two carrots. However, even after that, Jeffries says Peak didn't take them. Jeffries says Peak CEO Larry McIntosh is not being totally honest when he said Peak sent out an inspector who confirmed their carrots' low quality.

"Peak refused to even try and sell them as a number two," Jeffries says. "When this inspector went back to Peak to see what decision was made on them, Peak lied to him and told him they were still there and they hadn't made a decision. When the CFIA inspector pushed harder and wanted to see the carrots, they finally told him that they had already been sent back to the farm."

We spoke to Peak CEO Larry McIntosh and informed him of Jeffries' claims. McIntosh replied, "So they'd have to be re-graded to number two standards and put in a number two bag. Certainly they could be sold after the CFIA releases them. I don't know about these particular carrots, where they ended up, but we certainly sold lots of number two carrots, mostly to food service."

Jeffries says these allegedly unwanted carrots are not "ugly," they are premium vegetables that don't meet size requirements.                        

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"They're not misshapen and they're not rotting. There's nothing wrong with them. They look exactly like a carrot, they're just a little thinner," says Jeffries. "We don't have any interest in selling ugly produce. I agree with Peak that would needlessly flood the market with stuff that really we don't need to sell. We need to be able to sell all the good stuff we're throwing out today. That's the first issue we need to overcome."

Jeffries says a main problem with this issue is Peak's management. He says they haven't been innovative, and sell less number two carrots than they used to.

"Whenever a new idea is brought up, it is completely squashed all the time by Peak of the Market. There are so many opportunities out there," he says.

Peak's management includes a board of nine growers, who are elected by other growers, including carrot producers. McIntosh says management reports to its growers, and whatever direction the board decides to take the company is where it will go.

"The board may not agree with every grower and what direction they think the company should go," McIntosh says, "but they have to go with the best for the overall business, but I'll leave that for the board to decide. But it's not an individual manager here that's making those decisions. The board of directors, that's who I report to."

McIntosh continues, "[Jeffries'] dad was on the board for thirty years and his brother is on the board now... Certainly they have a voice at the table along with the other carrot growers. They're all at the table, so I would say they have determined persistence. We also had many carrot grower meetings with the carrot growers to try and determine their issues, and to try and work with them through on these. But they have had a few rough crop years."

McIntosh summarizes, saying, "Peak of the Market's here for Manitoba growers. That's what we're here for. As I said, we report to a board of directors who are elected by their fellow growers. It's about selling all their product and getting the best possible return for the growers including the off-grade product which is tougher to sell, there's no question about it. Processing is one way to do that. I know some companies are looking at setting up processing plants such as Jeffries', and that's a way of using that off-grade stuff that doesn't meet Canada one or Canada number two standards."