© Copyright AgMedia Inc
by BETTER FARMING STAFF
In Canada the chicken, turkey, egg and dairy industries employ a quota system that matches supply with demand ensuring stable pricing and consistent supply. Beginning in 2009 however the chicken board will allow operators to sell up to 300 birds a year at the farm gate without having to buy quota.
Ann Slater, president of Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO), says her association is “happy” with the marketing board’s Thursday announcement. The EFAO and the National Farmers Union have been pushing for a relaxation of the board’s quota exemptions since 2005.
Small flock operators have been able to raise birds for their own use since 2006, says Mary Fearon, a spokesperson for the board. Quota prices are negotiated between farmers for each sale but quota value for 300 birds could be around $15,000 according to numbers published on the board’s website
Fearon says the decision to relax marketing restrictions follows a pilot program held this year. It attracted more than 8,000 participants.
Participants sold an average of 61 birds over the course of a year. “So the number 300 more than accommodates the majority of the people,” she says.
Although considerably more than the 102 allowed until 2006, Fearon admits Ontario is still more restrictive than other provinces.
Alberta Chicken Producers don’t require those growing and marketing up to 2,000 birds a year to buy quota. Communal farms with up to 6,000 birds are also exempt.
“In the West they may have had to address some Mennonite communities,” she says. “But there are other provinces that have 300 as a number.”
In Ontario, producers must register with the marketing board to get their birds. “We’ve coordinated with the hatcheries and broker dealers so they need the form 300 in order to purchase the chicks.”
Producers will also have to take the form to the custom processor “so that there’s some coordination along throughout the system.”
Fearon says there’s no cost for registering right now, but the regulation permits the board to impose a fee in the future if it wants.
Producers can register online and with broker dealers and hatcheries early in 2009.
She anticipates the board will see the same numbers participating as those in 2008.
Harry Pelissero, general manager of Egg Farmers of Ontario, says his organization looked at its quota exemption limit for egg-layers and decided against an increase.
Those with layer flocks of up to 100 birds don’t have to pay quota. They can use the eggs for their own use or farm gate sales. There are no registration requirements.
Pelissero says there some quota exempt producers with flocks numbering 500. They are members of the Mennonite community and obtained special exemption arrangements in the early years of the marketing board’s operation. BF
buy local
So, if I interpret this right, even if I only raise birds for my own use, I must register them, even if I hatch them myself, I must register them. This gives inspectors the right to come onto my property. Customers are not allowed near the birds. Free range is pretty much impossible. I must get rid of all my other livestock and pets. By registering I am supporting an industry I don't agree with through fees imposed at their discretion and the government is also looking for more if they find me in violation. This is what society gets for demanding the government supply cheap food. This is supported by a government that maintains they are accountable. Our question should be "just who are they accountable to?" I wonder what they will do now that urban areas are allowed to have backyard chickens. If this is all about avian flu, I need to know what they will do about all the wild turkeys, grouse, geese and ducks in my area, not to mention all birds. It's AVIAN flu, not chicken flu, and it became a problem due to the conditions of the commercial industry. It's interesting to note when I allow my birds to roam, my feed bill drops considerably, which suggests to me that they are not getting everything they need or want from commercial feed. I am not interested in supplying the public with meat, but only for my own consumption, so I see this as a direct assault on privacy. Just sign me---Outraged
re: Buy Local/Outraged
That is how i read it too -- http://smallflock.ca/files/2328-2010%20Small%20Flock%20&%20Farm%20Gate%2... is the official "Small Flock & Farm Gate Marketing Regulation" link.
The regulation says a grower must comply with Bird Health Basics for Backyard Flocks -- http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/disemala/avflu/bacdoc/floelee....
And this document says you house birds outside. A Polyface Farms model (mobile coops, birds pasturing with fields shared with cattle) would never fly in Ontario.
And then, if that's not enough, you cannot market the product what so ever.
Anyone else have an opinion?
Quote Systems suppress growth of local food systems
This quota systems are absurb archaic protectionist systems put in place to protect existing producers, and severly hinder the growth of local food systems and economies.
quota
I agree completely. Quota is stifling innovation and sustainability in the poultry production.They are stifling local and smaller farmers who understand the birds and use production systems that benefit the bird and the land and environment
I wish we could gather more like minded people and show the quota boards the power of the people in this matter. I have tried for 2 years to get the Ontario board to allow organic and free range broilers to be grown under a special license as it is in BC and Nova Scotia. We are willing to pay a license fee, a quota per bird, to be able to produce, sell and market where we please.
I run up against the 'brick wall' everytime. Why is this sector of the livestock industry protected and not others ??? because the 'big boys' of the industry have it all to themselves and refuse to let anyone else on their 'patch' in case they actually produce a better product and have a wide market. When will the consumer wake up to the fact that these prices are fixed and they have absolutely 'no choice ' of bird.
The cost to set up a small operation by buying quota runs into the millions of dollars, who can afford that? or who wants to put themselves into such debt. or even have the ability to borrow such sums?
Itis perfectly simple, they still can have the say of maximum production ( given sensible limits not the paltry 300 per yaer, who can make a living from that?)and inspect the production. I am willing to work with them, include them in the whole process.
Have you ever seen a real free range broiler, a coloured bird, grown under real free range regulations? in any store in Canada? Once eaten never ever would you want to eat another commercial bird again. Maybe that is why the quota boards are so adamant about keeping us out.
Quota System
Would everyone on this site prefer and American style system where the food industry is completely subsidized by the government and the producers are controlled by the feed companies like Cargill? You can't have it both ways. Nobody cares if a few hippies grow some chickens in their backyard but the Canadian quota systems protects the family farm and ensures their livelihood.
Unfortunately, by protecting
Unfortunately, by protecting your livelihood, supply management is curtailing mine. Take a look at who is driving land prices…….
without the supply
without the supply management guys keeping poultry prices at profitable levels you wouldn't even be interested in having your small flock. just a thought
chickens
I personally think there is a very big difference on how people perceive “chickens”
What is scientifically sound for commercial broiler production does not work for all breeds of chickens (there are literally hundreds of breeds). A large portion of the folks who are pursuing chicken farming on a small scale are contemplating doing so with breeds which are outside the current production system.
Most breeds can’t be covered by the processing form since they only exist in small “backyard” flocks as they have done for their entire existence. It probably is best to leave commercial broiler production (anyone using standard commercial breed) to those individuals with quota who can supply the animals which what science has deemed necessary. After all those birds were created for the modern poultry environment.
With the movement to preserve heritage livestock poultry breeds suffer most in Ontario as the necessary numbers needed to preserve a given breed would necessitate some small scale sales of meat or eggs to keep interest in the breeds. None of the “heritage” breeds most small scale producers uses would ever be capable of competing with the efficiency of modern chicken’s in a modern production system. Personally I truly think there needs to be a better definition put forward for a legal definition of what a “commercial” chicken is rather than lumping all breeds together (we don’t do that for any other type of livestock so why we do this under the chicken marketing boards is beyond me).
You hit the nail on the
You hit the nail on the head!It's all about the breed of chicken.