The Farm Products Council of Canada has dismissed an appeal filed by turkey processors, but has also criticized several aspects of how the national supply management agency handled setting production targets and provincial shares for 2022-23.
The Canadian Egg and Poultry Processors Council complained that it was excluded from agency meetings where production targets and provincial shares were discussed.
Turkey Farmers of Canada responded that the processors council was at a meeting where the decisions were made and the meeting to which it was not a party did not make decisions.
The Farm Products Council’s decision said the agency had the legal right to hold discussions on its own, but said in its decision that the CEPPC should be included in meetings where production targets and allocations are discussed.
The processors also complained that it took too long for the agency to decide how much to produce in the current fiscal year and that added uncertainty and risks to an already uncertain and risky business because of avian influenza outbreaks.
The agency suspended its quota allocation policy in 2021 and still does not have a new one in place. The national council wants the agency to promptly adopt a new policy.
The allocation policy needed is how to distribute quota among provinces when production targets exceed 139 million kilograms. The current allocation is 143 million.
The council also said it makes sense to allow provinces to lend and lease quota among themselves to deal with severe outbreaks of avian influenza.
Turkey Farmers of Ontario supported the processors’ appeal, presumably because it did not like its share of production. It’s position in the appeal is not included in the council’s report.
