Maple Lodge has launched a publicity campaign to try to retain chicken supplies for its Nadeau Poultry Ltd. plant in New Brunswick.
Maple Lodge says it will close that plant if and when Sunnymel constructs a $30-million plant nearby. Sunnymel has lined up 80 per cent of the province's chicken supplies and, while it's awaiting construction of its plant, is having the birds processed in Olymel plants in Quebec.
Maple Lodge says that if both plants are to survive, birds will have to be brought in from other provinces and to do that, processors will have to pay premiums. I take that to mean Maple Lodge is prepared to pay premiums.
If so, Quebec may face yet another challenge. The marketing board there has a deal with Ontario to reduce and restrict the export of live chickens to processors in Ontario, presumably including Maple Lodge. That deal has not yet been approved by Quebec's supervisory agency. Imagine the same marketing board asking the same supervisory agency to ban chicken exports to New Brunswick.
I recall when the May brothers, who started Maple Lodge, railed against marketing boards and supply management. Now, in New Brunswick and Ontario and Quebec, they want marketing boards to use their power to ensure their processing plants can get all the birds they want and need without paying premiums.
Where's Solomon when the chicken industry needs him?
