by SUSAN MANN
Two groups involved in a campaign to increase the number of chickens farmers can raise without quota have a hearing before the Chicken Farmers of Ontario board next week.
Practical Farmers of Ontario and Sustain Ontario have launched the campaign to get Chicken Farmers of Ontario to increase the number of meat chickens farmers can produce annually without quota to 2,000 from 300. In addition to increasing the quota-free limit, Practical Farmers president Sean McGivern says they are also asking Chicken Farmers to allow small flock growers to sell beyond their farmgate.
The hearing will be held at the Chicken Farmers office in Burlington Dec. 20. McGivern says Chicken Farmers has already turned down a similar request from them in September. He sent that request by letter.
McGivern says if their request is denied again after the hearing, they’ll file an appeal with the Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal.
Chicken Farmers couldn’t be reached for comment.
But Dr. Gwen Zellen, Chicken Farmers vice president, says in a Sept. 18 letter responding to McGivern and posted on the Practical Farmers website that the board has recently reviewed the small flock regulation and it supports “the current value of the regulation for disease management.”
Practical Farmers is involved in the campaign because members at the group’s inaugural annual meeting in March requested it work on this project. The group was formed this year and has 200 members. Sustain Ontario is a provincial alliance of more than 350 member organizations that describes its goal as working towards a food system that is healthy, ecological, equitable and financially viable.
Sustain Ontario director Ravenna Nuaimy-Barker says they’re involved because they’re concerned that people have good food to eat and farmers are able to make a living farming. She says even though the alliance supports supply management, members are concerned the system hampers small scale and diversified farmers from reaching their market for birds raised in variety of different ways.
“It’s primarily farmers that are coming to us who aren’t growing large number of birds but who are part of a diversified farm that have chickens and they have a market for those chickens,” she says.
The groups say neither of the Chicken Farmers’ options work for smaller, diversified growers or new farmers trying to fill specific markets. Those options are buying the minimum 14,000 units of quota required by Chicken Farmers to produce meat (broiler) birds in Ontario or just produce the 300 birds annually allowed quota free for personal consumption or sale at the farm gate.
Meaford-area farmer Gerald Te Velde is a case in point. Te Velde wants to raise pastured chickens to sell at farmers’ markets, which current Chicken Farmers rules prohibit.
Te Velde says he raises grass-fed beef, lamb and pastured pigs along with five acres of vegetables, sells at farmers’ markets in Toronto, Collingwood and Meaford and takes orders and delivers his meats in the winter. He hasn’t been raising any meat chickens for sales, just for personal consumption. But he has been trying to expand into poultry with ducks and turkey, and wants to add meat chickens to his product list.
Te Velde says raising just 300 chickens isn’t worth it “for the type of operation we’re trying to do here. For small farms to make chicken a viable enterprise on their farm, 300 birds isn’t going to do a whole lot. It’s hardly a hobby.”
Buying 14,000 minimum quota units would cost $1.75 million, according to Practical Farmers and Sustain Ontario, and enable him to produce about 90,000 birds a year.
Te Velde says that’s too many birds for his operation. He says the board’s existing rules won’t allow him to sell the birds directly to his customers. Sustain Ontario says in a Dec. 10 press release the quota costs are too expensive for small, diversified farmers.
The two groups say they still support of the concept of supply management. “We’re not saying we need to end supply management,” McGivern notes. “We’re saying supply management needs to come to the table and work with small farmers rather than putting up stumbling blocks.”
McGivern says they’re requesting the quota-free amount be 2,000 birds because that is what most other Canadian provinces have, such as Alberta and British Columbia. He says Ontario’s quota free limit is currently the lowest across Canada.
As for the Chicken Farmers’ new entrant program and other new entrant programs in supply-managed commodities, McGivern says those efforts are ineffective in encouraging young and new farmers to get into those industries.
Te Velde says the income farmers can expect from raising 2,000 birds depends on “how you’re raising them.” He doesn’t feed any corn and soybeans so it takes longer for him to raise birds. Part of their birds’ diet comes from grass in the pasture, along with bugs, worms and grains, such as oats, barley and peas.
The movement to increase the number of chickens farmers can raise without quota went into high gear this week after Sustain Ontario kicked off its ‘Are We Too Chicken?’ campaign. As part of it, Sustain Ontario sent out postcards to farmers markets, organizations and concerned citizens across Ontario addressed to Geri Kamenz, chair of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission. The cards ask him to work with Chicken Farmers of Ontario and other stakeholders to increase the number of chickens farmers can raise quota free.
Zellen says Chicken Farmers currently has 13,000 growers documented in its small flock registry. The majority of small flocks are grown for personal consumption. From 2009 to 2011, the average flock was less than 56 birds. BF
Comments
The quota you are asking for is to low, you will make $5 per bird profit after feed and chick costs. You are only a farmer for tax purposes if you earn $30,000, therefore you need 6,000 birds on no quota, 6,000 X 5=30,000
Think about that. We pushed SK up to 5,000 birds with no quota as long as raised in pasture and moved to fresh ground daily, summer only.
Of course, more than 2000 would be nice but a pasture-raised, non-gmo bird should net you at least $10, if not more, @ $3.75-$4.50/lb
BTW SK is at 4000 birds, not 5000. and it's a "specialty class" meaning anything fromm halal, organic, free-range, pasture-raised and it can be anytime of the year if you have a case for it.
(Nova Scotia is the best...10,000 Free-Range Chicken Permit)
In Ontario, you are a farmer with $7,000 gross annual sales and a membership card from one of the accredited general farm organizations. Not earning $30,000. At least not in Ontario
Anonymous comment partially deleted by editor in accordance with our guidelines.
This excessively restrictive small flock exemption of 300 birds is a perfect example of why small-scale, family farms are DYING in ontario - there is TONNES of demand for local, ethically raise chicken and many farmers who would like to fill that demand and make a fair wage by marketing directly to consumers. It is this regulation that blocks both the consumer and the farmer from getting what they want and how is that fair? I am so glad that PFO and Sustain Ontario are spear-heading this and willing to take it to the next level if Chicken Farmers continues to block real farmers from raising animals ethically, instead of in huge confinement chicken houses (which is what the minimum 90,000 birds adds up to).
This statement is incorrect as Nova Scotia currently has a 200 bird (per permise per year) quota in place. If you wish to produce more you must apply for a free range quota license which starts you off at 500 birds (cost of license is a 10 cent levy per chick, plus administration fees). Failure to meet the minimum percent of birds processed for your quota could result in the revocation or reduction of your qouta. All free range producers must meet minimal housing and husbandry standards, and are subject to an inspection of premises.
That's just sad
In Nova Scotia, if you can prove you have a market for your specially raised chicken you can raise up to 10,000 birds a year with out quota,
Thursday December 20th at 1:30pm The PFO will have a hearing at the CFO office in Burlington to make our case why Ontario farmers should be able to raise 2000 broilers a year with out quota like farmers can, Nova Scotia, Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan.
Sean McGivern
PFO
I will concede that there are a few producers who were able to start off at 10,000 chicks when NS first started issuing licenses to free range growers. The Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia initiated the free range licensing system (often referred to as quota amongst those who rear the birds under this system) in order to maintain some control over backyard flocks under the theory that this would better enable them to prevent and/or track the spread of disease in small poultry productions. The following is an excerpt from the Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia Regulations, made under Section 9 and 11 of the Natural Products Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c.308, N.S.Reg 11/2005 (December 8, 2004), as amended by N.S. Reg. 182/2010 (November 26, 2010).
Part III - Licensing and Fees
Requirement to to hold licence
9(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), a person must not engage in the production or marketing of chicken unless the person holds a valid licence.
Exception
(2) The production of up to 200 birds per premise in a calendar year for personal consumption does not require a licence.
Categories of licences
(4) The following are the type of licences issued by the Commodity Board.
(a) producer licence;
(b) producer vendor licence;
(c) vendor licence;
(d) special licence; and
(e) specialty licence.
Applying for a licence
(5) A person must submit a completed application to the Commodity Board, on a form approved by the Commodity Board, for each type of licence sought.
and from Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia's Frequently Asked Question for Chick Vendors fact sheet.
2) Who is a licenced person vs and unlicenced person?
A licensed person is any individual and/or business establishment that holds either a Producer Licence (commercial quota), Specialty Licence (free range or organic) or Vendor Licence (chick sales). An unlicenced individual does not hold any of these licences.
Take note that Section 9(2) dictates only 200 birds are allowed by non licensed individuals, and that those birds are for personal consumption (not to be sold).
Just for clarification I am not against what you are trying to do, I only want you to have the information as it has been written by Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia and adopted by the producers/vendors of said province. You don't want to go to a hearing and have someone contest the validity of your information.
If any one does not like our quota system move to the states and try make a living raising chickens. You would need 100.000 birds just to put enough food on your table. People that want to raise chickens in Canada without quota are taking advantage of farmers that have quota because of the fair return they get for raising chickens so then they can get higher price without quota. If we did not have a quota system chickens would be half price then you would not even think about raising 2000 birds
yes that is right but you chicken farmers are getting greedy you guys are making to much money and don't realize how good you have got it so you buy up all the land so the young guy without quota can't compete maybe when you get your FREE QUOTA LIKE THIS SPRING GIVE IT TO A YOUNG FARMER NOT THE CHICKEN FARMER TO GET BIGGER
The factory setting which quota has made means that "farmers" with quota need to pump out as much chicken with as little inputs as possible to make a living. So in the store consumers get bland, tiny birds at an overinflated price. Chicken raised in the old fashioned way is much tastier, and since the small flock farmer isn't really trying to turn over as many birds as is scientifically possible, the birds are allowed to grow normally and much bigger. I would pay for bigger and better birds.
Supply and demand would also be allowed to play out in the open market and the quality of the meat would have to go up if these birds would be allowed to be sold by dealers or grocery stores because people would realize what they were missing.
Wow, you guys should talk to someone who goes shopping and knows the market!
If you will pay for bigger and better birds then go do it buddy, there are lots of choices available in Ontario stores.
In the Ontario chicken market we have lots of variety ......
Broilers: Chickens 6 to 8 weeks old and weighing about 2 1/2 pounds
Fryers: Chickens 6 to 8 weeks old and weighing 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds
Roasters: Chickens less than 8 months old and weighing 3 1/2 to 5 pounds
Stewing Chickens: Chickens (usually hens) over 10 months old and weighing 5 to 7 pounds
Capons: Castrated males that weigh 6 to 8 pounds
Cock/Rooster: Male chickens over 10 months old weighing 6 to 8 pounds
I use Roasters from Zehr's most of the time myself, they are tasty and usually a real bargain.
Go get'em! You should get out more!
it is true that you can raise up to 10000 free range chicken per year in ns BUT you have to start at 500 the first year and are only allowed to increase at 1000 per year after that. Originally there was an overseeing board who looked after the growers and the regulations. Now the chicken board is in charge. Since then they have every year put further requirements on free range growers,which, in many free range grower's minds is an effort to reduce the number of free range birds growers in the province. This year ( 2014) all free range growers must have fenced and overhead netted runs, no other livestock can be able to access the birds, and even a vaccine for coccidiosis cannot be administered in the water at day old , it has to be vaccinated at the hatchery. No antibiotics of any kind are allowed.
Compare this to the massive amounts of antibiotics given to all industrial birds in the regular system. Now most of free range growers would only give antibiotics for the bird if it were necessary in case of sickness, and would probably have these birds for their own family consumption. Consider the case of the netting over the runs, most free range growers have large runs and some have woodland access. All these things enhance the environment for a free range bird, providing overhead cover for resting and preening, and areas for dust bathing and foraging on grass and other vegetation, just like the birds our grandparents reared.
The board says that netting the area is for biosecurity purposes to protect the birds from wild birds which carry avian flu.
Please tell me why all cases of avian flu in Canada have been in large industrial flocks, in confined buildings, supposedly bird and vermin free...?????
I agree with the growers, these requirements are meant to try and reduce the numbers of free range chicken growers by making it almost impossible for a small grower to make even a meager income.In my opinion the board just does not understand the free range system, finds the main stream production easier to manage and would prefer not to have these little growers at all .
Quota holders have the pleasure of a guaranteed price and sale for their birds, a licensed federal processing plant and transport provided. Free range growers have to go to a Provincial plant for processing or travel 9 hours to NB ( if they were allowed) This is another way the board keeps free range chicken out of the big grocery chains, assuring them that federal processing is the only way they should accept birds, and Provincial processing is second best ..The board is quick to say yes, you can sell them at the grocery store, but they know being provincially processed the store will not take them.
Give us a level playing field, and the consumer will have at least a choice of chicken in the store, right now it is the industrial bird, or nothing. Take a look at Europe Canada the consumer has a wide range of birds in every store, different genetics and far better tasting..There is room for both systems to run side by side with equal access to markets......we should be given the right to earn our living the way we wish, is not that in the Canada charter of rights and freedoms?
Thank-you for reporting extensive information on conditions in Nova Scotia.
Do the Small Flockers have a say in the development of these new rules, restrictions, and quotas? In Ontario, small flock farmers are not allowed to be a member of Chicken Farmers of Ontario ("CFO"), can't vote for representatives in their District, nor the CFO Board. THey have no say, but are subjected to the arbitrary whims of CFO in the By-laws, rules, and fiat degrees that they make. How is that democratic?
Is there scientific justification to all of these alleged biosecurity measures? They aren't cheap to buy nor implement, so they should be proven to be effective before they start ordering people around. Without the prior proof of effectiveness and necessity based on scientific risk analysis, then they are mere whims to frustrate and injure small flockers; thereby enhancing the quota-based monopoly of the powerful factory growers.
One day soon, there will be justice and fairness for the consumer and small flock poultry farmers.
One day soon.
Glenn Black
Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada
Doesn't it seem right to you that we .as Canadians,should be allowed to farm in whatever Province we choose and farm whatever we like, ie crops, or livestock , including chicken, in order to make an adequate living. Why is it ok in Alberta and BC to rear 2000 broilers without quota and sell where you like, but other Provinces it is not.
why does the chicken board have total control over all chicken sold, and we are still having only one choice of chicken in the store, the white industrial bird? because they can, but that does not make it right.
Small flock owners are more innovative in their thinking, more innovative in their marketing, because they have to be.they do not have a guaranteed market with a guaranteed price.
what is wrong with providing the consumer with an alternative bird grown in an alternative, more animal friendly system? and why are not the board looking to the future when the majority of consumers will be questioning why they cannot buy this type of bird in their local grocery store. poultry growers with different production systems, ie free range are willing to take their chances in the market if they were allowed, or is the quota board too scared to let them in case they actually have a product that the discerning consumers out there want? I agree with Glenn Black the day is coming and it will be from the consumer who demand a choice in the chicken aisle. Or it may be from the negotiations with the Trans Pacific Partnership, a group of pacific rim countries wishing to form a trading group, Canada included. I cannot see the partners in the TPP ( like New Zealand and Australia) who eradicated quota many years ago, allowing Canada to keep their "supply management" off the negotiating table. Watch this space !!!
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