The ban on selling live chickens across the Ontario-Quebec
border has sprung a big leak.
The Chicken Farmers of Ontario marketing board, after losing
a long court battle, has announced it is changing its policies to allow
Francophone quota holders in Eastern Ontario to market their birds to
processors in Quebec.
Those that were persistently marketing to Quebec processors
are now allowed to continue.
Those Francophone chicken producers who want to join them
might be granted CFO approval, provided they are “qualified producers” with “qualified
quotas” for an “opening phase”.
Meanwhile, Ontario processors who want to serve the kosher
and Hong Kong dressed markets can’t buy chicken from Ontario quota holders. All
of the chickens they produce must go to processors approved by the chicken
board.
The board controls where chickens are sold because the
province is short of supply and needs to ration birds among processors.
Under federal and provincial government supervision, the
marketing boards are supposed to ensure that market demand is satisfied, but
the marketing board leaders have been unable to fully satisfy all processors in
all provinces.
Alberta is so disgruntled it has served notice it’s leaving the
national system, effective next year.
