The Manitoba Farm Products Marketing Council has agreed to hear an appeal by chicken producers who say they’ve been hurt financially by a new program affecting how specialty chicken is raised and processed.
The appeal is being made by five producers who feel penalized by Manitoba Chicken Producers’ new annual specialty quota program.
The chicken-marketing board announced last fall that as of Dec. 31, all existing exemptions under its former special market development and servicing policy, as well as the annual farm site marketing permit system, would be cancelled and that a new program would require birds be slaughtered at an inspected plant.
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Many aspects of the new program were hotly protested after it was announced, including the decision to cap specialty quota at 30,000 kg.
Spokesman for Direct Farm Manitoba (DFM) Phil Veldhuis said their group was informed earlier this month the appeal will go ahead. No date has been set yet.
The changes have affected producers across the supply chain, from those raising chicken who had their specialty permits rescinded to hatchery owners, Veldhuis said.
DFM’s board hopes the hearing draws attention to the wider impact changing a program without consultation has, he said.
“We intend to use this opportunity to both argue for the specific interests of the few individuals who are specifically involved in this matter but also to establish how producers in general ought to be treated,” he said.
“Some discussion needs to take place about how those producers came to be in a position where the program they were used to using was cancelled without any prior notice or discussion. All producers have some concern with a marketing board that acts in that way.”
The Manitoba Farm Products Marketing Council supervises the operation of producer boards and marketing commissions, as well as acts as an appeal body.
