Monday, December 19, 2011

No Quebec chicken decision – yet


The Régis that regulates marketing boards in Quebec has not yet issued its decision on a controversial deal between Quebec and Ontario chicken marketing boards to stop inter-provincial trade of live birds.
The Quebec marketing board and processors had until the end of November to either reach unanimous agreement on the proposal or to return the issue to the Régis for its decision.

All but a few small-scale processors in Quebec favour the deal.

The situation is similar in Ontario where the marketing board and the Association of Ontario Chicken Processors are poised to introduce regulations designed to end inter-provincial trade and assign Ontario-grown chickens to Ontario processors.

There is an association representing smaller-scale Ontario processors which has complained that its concerns may get trampled by the agreement.

There is also  the question of whether the agreement can withstand a court challenge on the basis that the provincial premiers and the prime minister have signed agreements to reduce and eventually eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers.