After years of neglect and deafness to complaints, the Chicken Farmers of Ontario marketing board has done an about-face and is encouraging production in Northern Ontario.
For decades the board refused to grant requests for quota at affordable prices to enable production in Northern Ontario so chicken wouldn’t need to be brought in hundreds of kilometres from Southern Ontario.
But earlier this decade, the board launched several programs that enable producers to grow some chicken without needing quota and to encourage local processors.
Now the board has announced on its website it is partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs to host a series of workshops across Northern Ontario.
It said “the workshops are an opportunity for farmers currently raising small flocks, or families interested in starting a chicken farm, to network and learn more about the chicken business and CFO’s Artisanal Chicken® program."
Board chairman Ed Benjamins said “the CFO board of directors is continuously looking to innovate and advance our business. The Northern Ontario poultry workshops is one way that CFO is creating options for smaller scale and new participants to join the chicken industry.”
