Chicken Industry Small But Active
While small in number, the province’s commercial chicken growers collectively produce nearly four million kilograms of broiler meat each year.
All of the animals from the province are shipped to a federally inspected slaughter house in northern New Brunswick. Only animals handled at a plant with federal certification can be shipped inter-provincially.
Like dairy farmers and other poultry growers, chicken production is a supply managed commodity. Janet Murphy of the Chicken Farmers of P.E.I. said supply management is good for both the producer and consumer, adding the group has been fortunate to have enjoyed strong support from the provincial government in its efforts to ensure supply management is protected and enhanced. “Everybody in the supply chain from the producer to the processing plants, truckers and retailers gains under supply management,” Murphy said. “At the same time, the consumer is assured of a safe, quality product at a consistent and reasonable price.”
Like its sister organizations across the country, the Chicken Farmers of P.E.I. has been working diligently over the past several months developing a disease control plan. This would be activated in the event a contagious animal disease like avian influenza that hit flocks in British Columbia and Ontario a couple of years ago, should occur in the Island flock.
If the plan is activated, no chickens could be shipped outside the province. Murphy explained “all of the other provinces have a similar approach so provinces that are not affected can continue to do business.” However, she said P.E.I. is in a unique position because there is no federally inspected plant within the province and would be virtually shut down until the situation was resolved.
To help make sure every possible precaution is taken, a key step is to identify backyard producers. The goal is not to limit their production, merely establish their whereabouts and “provide them with as much information as we can and to educate them about the importance of following the proper biosecurity protocols.” She said a representative of the P.E.I. Bird Fanciers Group, just one type of backyard flock owner, sits on the committee developing the disease management plan.
Murphy explained that Chicken Farmers of Canada recently released a new, national animal care program. She explained “this deals with how the animals are looked after—do they have enough food and water, do they have enough room to spread their wings and issues like that.” The program has been blended with the existing, 10-year-old on-farm food safety program and includes record-keeping, the recommended codes of practice and third party verification; all to standards that will be consistent from coast to coast.
She said the program, which the association will administer provincially, sought input and feedback from the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and both organizations have supported its implementation.
Currently, the group is also busy planning for the 2010 annual meeting of the Chicken Farmers of Canada to be held at the Brudenell resort next July. Murphy said the event should attract close to 250 people from across the country.
