Chicken marketing board finds ways to let small producers grow

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Comments

My Dad and I have farms that butt up to each other. One field of mine is eight acres, due to a creek separating it from the rest of my farm. Likewise, his 100 acre farm has a field that is 58 acres due to a creek. We work these 2 fields as one for a field of 66 acres simply because it is more efficient, right? Of course it is.
Now, under the rules of the chicken farmers, I could in put a barn along the fenceline of my farm, likewise my Dad could do the same.
But, the barns cannot join and be more efficient.
INSANE.
And since the price is still fixed, the consumer is forced to pay for these inefficiencies.

Raube Beuerman

So if you were able to join the barns would you be willing to raise the birds for less dollars ?
Also the one way to get around your problem would be to have both your and your fathers name on both deeds . Not defending CF but think there is more to it . You have picked out one thing with out giving an in depth explanation or a one sided view . How would your County or MPAC treat ajoining barns on two different properties ?

The point I am making, is that this is still full-blown supply management, and inefficiencies are bestowed upon the consumer by these rules of cfo's 'game'.

Raube Beuerman

I think the greatest efficiency has come from southern style contract production which enslaves contractors. Their boom an bust dairy industry has been fueled by a form of supply management which uses taxpayer dollars from time to time to pay producers not to produce.

One of the worst efficiencies might be Ontario style beef production which drove out our processing sector. Our pork producers themselves are efficient but require frequent bailouts and even a buyout at one point.

The one thing about agriculture is that some sectors can be taken indoors and are industrialized like a factory . It is all good until a desease comes through and all but wipes out production . When growing field crops you can not forget that Mother Nature still reigns supreme . Mother nature can take an efficiency and toss it out the window in seconds . Field crops are completely different in agriculture but seem to always get lumped in with the rest .

The price is still fixed and small producer win

The municipality will have set back limits to how close you can go to the field line

10:34 AM 15-07-30

I have already thanked CFO for allowing this opportunity of Artisanal Chicken to come forward. How much of an opportunity it really is will eventually be learned down the road. On that basis, I worked till 2:00 AM to read everything CFO disclosed on this program, then submitted my application with trust and hope stretched to the limit.

The billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the 400 companies in his Virgin Group said, "Play fair, be prepared for others to play dirty, and don't let them drag you into the mud."

Sounds like excellent advice, ready made for any Small Flocker thinking about dealing with CFO and applying for Artisanal Chicken Program.

When a fox invites a Small Flock rooster to come to the fox's den for dinner, it is prudent to ask what's on the menu before accepting the dinner invitation.

For example, CFO has dangled the carrot that the Artisanal Chicken program will be allocated 5% of the chicken market growth that CFO achieved the previous year.

What CFO doesn't say is that 95% of the growth automatically goes to the kits of Mama Fox. CFO also doesn't disclose what happens if there is no growth in the previous year.

No quota growth could happen due to weather, economic recession, Bird Flu, rogue CAFO chicken farmers or processors who get caught by animal rights activists or CFIA food inspectors, a fight at the Chicken Farmers of Canada that refuses Ontario any quota increase, or a hundred of other reasons.

With no quota growth, CFO's allocation to Artisanal Chicken goes to zero (ie. 5% of zero equals zero), and Small Flockers who made the investment into Artisanal Chicken are summarily executed. The following year, the door to the fox's den is opened again, the welcome mat is put out, and the fox awaits the next group of Small Flockers to blindly trust & enter.

That may not be the intention of CFO, but it is a reasonable interpretation of what CFO has said so far, and requires some clarification by CFO for prudent Small Flockers before they enter the fox's den.

Unfortunately, this is just one of dozens of other risks that the Artisanal Chicken program currently contains.

Caveat Emptor ("let the buyer beware")

Glenn Black, President
Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada

funny how there are no more vicious comments from Small Flockers and Practical Farmers of Ontario ......looks like Chicken Farmers of Ontario are not such terrible guys and have granted access into the broiler chicken market...which of you guys signed up?
G Kimble

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