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New leaders in place at Alberta’s controversial farm-aid agency

Click to play video: 'Wet weather leaves Alberta farmers desperate for help'
Wet weather leaves Alberta farmers desperate for help
WATCH ABOVE: Many farmers in Alberta say they are facing a crisis and desperate for help. Wet weather will delay seeding and there are farmers who can't even get last year's crop off. Kendra Slugoski reports. – Apr 27, 2017

EDMONTON – Alberta has new leaders and oversight rules in place at a Crown agency tasked with helping farmers with loans, crop insurance and disaster aid.

Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier says the new board of the Agriculture Financial Services Corp. will have eight members chaired by Jennifer Wood, a professional agrologist and agribusiness executive.

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READ MORE: Alberta farmer hopes rare February harvest will salvage his season 

Carlier sacked the old six-member board about a year ago and suspended three top executives.

An audit found the executives engaged in questionable purchasing practices and racked up lavish expenses for trips, dinners and limousine rides.

WATCH: Poor weather conditions forcing Alberta farmers to halt their harvest 

The executives were suspended with pay but have now either retired or, in the case of the president, not had his contract renewed.

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Many irregularities were done with one unnamed client company, but the corporation says it no longer does business with that group.

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