Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Rob Dougans leaving Chicken Farmers of Ontario

Rob Dougans is leaving his post as president and chief executive officer of the Chicken Farmers of Ontario marketing board effective March 31.


He guided the industry over a major change in attitude, opening the door for small-scale producers who no longer need quota, to an artisanal market policy that also granted approval to produce and process chicken without requiring either production or plant-supply quota and launching a special breeds program that helped satisfy demand for red-feathered birds among the Asian immigrant population.


When Dougans began as chief executive, the chicken board was cracking down on any person keeping meat-bird chickens without quota.


Also during his term, the Ontario board won a long-standing drive to persuade the national agency to grant more production to meet strong Ontario demand that had led to premiums and then a ban on inter-provincial movement, mainly between Ontario and Quebec.


The Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission also intervened to force price-reducing changes related to improving efficiencies as production volumes increased.