Norwich couple win egg quota competition

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

Michael and Gwen Van Gurp of Norwich are the first recipients of the New Entrant Quota Loan Pool (NEQLP) program. Their selection was announced Tuesday at Egg Farmers of Ontario's (EFO) Annual Councilors' Workshop.

Picked by a selection committee from among 84 applicants, the Van Gurps will be loaned two units of quota, up to 5,000 units, for every unit they buy. After 10 years, the loaned quota will be returned to the NEQLP program in five installments of 20 per cent each year over five years.

To be considered for EFO's new entrant program, an applicant must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and be a permanent resident of Ontario. Applicants cannot hold quota of any type in the supply-managed sector (egg, pullet, chicken, turkey, dairy, or hatching eggs) and not have held quota, currently or in the past, of any type in the supply-managed sector.  Priority is given to persons between the ages of 18 and 45.

The program was announced in March at the annual meeting of the EFO. The EFO will allocate 50,000 units of egg quota over a 10-year period into the program and, each year, up to 5,000 units of egg quota will be loaned.

EFO general manager Harry Pelissero said the program is designed to be self-perpetuating and is expected to continue indefinitely. When loaned quota is returned to the program, it will go out to new recipients. At today’s prices, each unit of quota is worth between $230 and $240. BF