Daughter needed better training, tribunal rules

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

by DAVE PINK

The Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal has dismissed the request of Dundas-area chicken farmer John Feddes to reduce the overproduction penalty of more $20,000 imposed on him by the Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO).

At a Feb. 15 hearing, John Feddes, the owner of La Primavera Farms, attributed the overproduction to a “clerical error.” Feddes told the tribunal that in April 2010 he allowed his daughter, Joanne Feddes, to order the chicks needed to meet that year’s quota requirements. He admitted that he did not check her work even though she had never previously ordered chicks or handled any of the farm’s chicken production business.

As well, Feddes said the farm received two letters from the CFO and there was confusion about the quota allotted to his operation.

In its decision the board ruled that Joanne Feddes should have received better training from her father, who has been in the chicken business for about 35 years. BF