The reason why the Association of Ontario Chicken Processors
has filed an appeal with the tribunal against implementation of a new
specialty-market policy is spelled out in a letter the AOCP sent to the
Chicken Farmers of Ontario marketing board.
The AOCP says it originally supported the new policy, but
that support is conditional on obtaining additional production rights from the
national agency.
The AOCP says that going ahead with the new policy without
gaining a policy change and additional allocations from the national agency
will mean that they will be short of enough chicken.
It also notes that the national agency rejected British
Columbia’s application for a specialty-markets allocation when the agency’s
board of directors met in January.
The next national agency board meeting is in early May.
The AOCP says in its letter to the board that the new
policy must “not cannibalize existing markets.”
However, when the AOCP and the chicken board signed on to a
no-trade policy with Quebec, that’s exactly what they did – cannibalize the
market developed by CAMI International Poultry Inc. by refusing to provide
Ontario-grown chicken to replace what CAMI had to shop in Quebec to meet its
market demand.
Now Sargent Farms has also cannibalized the kosher market by
purchasing Chai Kosher Poultry, leaving the Jewish-community market short of chicken.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Appeal Tribunal
has yet to post information on its website acknowledging that the AOCP has
filed an appeal.
