The Chicken Farmers of Ontario marketing board is blaming
the national agency for the continuing shortage of chicken.
In a posting on its website this week, it says the Chicken
Farmers of Canada – the national agency – turned down Ontario’s request for
permission to grow more chicken to satisfy the demand for kosher chicken.
Ontario’s only kosher processor sold its plant supply quota
to another processor this year, and since then there has been no kosher
processing in Ontario.
Demand is being met – but at significantly higher prices –
by a kosher-processing plant in Quebec.
There are at least two businessmen in Ontario willing and
able to process for the kosher market, but they can’t buy birds because there
aren’t enough being grown in Ontario.
The CFO also says on its website that the national agency
has rejected its proposal for a Specialty Production Policy.
The national agency, taking its lead from the dominant
chicken-processing companies in Ontario, wants to limit that production to “certain
chicken breeds” that are not popular with commercial-scale producers.
Ontario, which proposed the policy in the first place, wants
it open to any processor who can identify demand for chicken not currently
being offered or met in the market.
Under the Ontario proposal, both the demand for kosher and
Hong Kong dressed birds for the Asian market (head and feet on) could be met by
increased production.
The members of the Association of Ontario Chicken Processors
opposes that policy, filed an appeal with the tribunal, but then asked the
tribunal to put it on hold while it pursues negotiations with the chicken
marketing board.
The stalling tactic means that the demand for kosher and
Hong Kong dressed chicken is not being met by Ontario producers and processors.
The CFO website says the national agency agreed to adopt a “differential
growth” strategy in the short, but not the long, term.
It will be tried for the next six quota periods.
The CFO says this short-term “solution” has increased the
allocation for production by two per cent for quota period A-121 which begins
in December.
