Chicken production quota increases

Monday, February 6, 2012

by SUSAN MANN

Chicken Farmers of Canada’s board approved a 1.7 per cent increase in chicken production for the May 20 to July 14 quota period this year compared to the same eight weeks a year ago.

Production has been set at 164.1 million kilograms (eviscerated weight) or 222.8 million kilograms live weight, says Jan Rus, Chicken Farmers director of market information and systems. The board approved the increase at its meeting last week.

The increase is due to improved market signals such as low inventories in storage stocks with stocks being almost three million kilograms lower than last year and at the lowest level in a couple of years, Rus says.

Other marker signals directors considered were good wholesale prices, the competing meat situation with beef supplies in North America slated to drop significantly this year compared to last year, and that the May 20 to July 14 quota period is “a high demand time of the year.”

Ontario has been allocated a production of 53.2 million kilograms (eviscerated weight) or 72.1 million kilograms of live weight for the May 20 to July 14 quota period. That’s up slightly compared to the same eight weeks a year ago. Allocation for all of the other provinces increased, except for British Columbia.  BF