Should we or shouldn't we: Chicken Farmers of Canada explores viability of promotion and research agency

Friday, May 13, 2016

by SUSAN MANN

Chicken Farmers of Canada is assessing whether it should apply to the Farm Products Council of Canada to establish a promotion and research agency for the chicken sector.

Michael Laliberté, Chicken Farmers operations director, says the organization is currently trying to determine if there is “any merit in us establishing a promotion and research agency. We have not made the decision yet to make a submission to the Farm Products Council of Canada to establish a PRA (promotion and research agency).”

The farm products council is responsible for overseeing the national supply management agencies for poultry and eggs. It also supervises the national promotion and research agencies for farm products.

The beef sector has had a promotion and research agency since 2002. Several other commodity groups are in various stages with proposals for their sectors, including pullet growers, raspberries, strawberries and pork.

As part of Chicken Farmers’ efforts to look into establishing an agency, Laliberté says, “we’ve initiated very preliminary discussions with provincial boards, as well as launching some limited industry consultations.”

There aren’t any deadlines for when Chicken Farmers must complete its assessment of whether it should apply to establish an agency or not. It’s the Chicken Farmers board that would decide if a submission to set up the agency would be made to the council.

The council has guidelines on establishing promotion and research agencies and is in charge of holding public hearings once it receives a sector’s submission.

Laliberté says Chicken Farmers would launch full consultations with producer groups and industry “before submitting something to council” if the board approves filing an application.  “We would require producer support,” he adds. BF