Poultry focus group: challenges facing the sector
The Canadian poultry industry is small but significant. For Canada as a whole, in 2021 the poultry sector contributed $5.5 billion to the Canadian GDP from over 4,700 farms. Chicken is the most consumed animal meat protein in the country, the consumption of which has increased with population growth and immigration from cultures that favour meat over beef and pork. Meanwhile, the industry is under pressure to align with sustainability goals, specifically to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2021, to better understand the industry’s challenges and possible policy solutions to those challenges, the Simpson Centre assembled a focus group of industry stakeholders to discuss their opinions regarding the challenges facing the Canadian poultry sector, along with how the sector interacts with policy, and their short-term and long-term priorities.
Tomorrow, The Simpson Centre at the School of Public Policy with authors Shawn Wiskar and Guillaume Lhermie will release a report that examines the results from the focus group with key findings and recommendations.
These key findings
• Participants were concerned largely with challenges surrounding the restrictions of the supply management system . Many participants highlighted the barriers to entry and the tight profit margins associated with participating in the poultry sector. However, participants also credit the system with providing protection from price fluctuation and market demand . The supply management system is seen as a positive element of Canada’s poultry sector but in need of improvement.
• There was large consensus on the need for “red tape reduction,” specifically for creating easier and more accessible ways to access financial supports and programs in place for poultry farmers and for streamlining regulatory requirements.
• Many participants expressed that the poultry industry is misrepresented both in the public eye and in policy decisions, as industry stakeholders are often treated as one uniform industry and not always provided with an opportunity to voice their concerns/ suggestions or to present policymakers and the public with accurate data.
• The Canadian poultry sector comprises several small farms, while the American market has several large farms that dwarf Canadian capacity . The small capacity was seen as a public perception advantage for Canadian farmers but as a source of significant challenges to bringing investment to Canada.
• Communication and data sharing throughout supply chain sectors was often mentioned as a key to success that needs to be addressed through policy in order to ensure the longevity of the poultry sector in Canada. KEY FINDINGS
• Participants were concerned largely with challenges surrounding the restrictions of the supply management system . Many participants highlighted the barriers to entry and the tight profit margins associated with participating in the poultry sector . However, participants also credit the system with providing protection from price fluctuation and market demand. The supply management system is seen as a positive element of Canada’s poultry sector but in need of improvement.
• There was large consensus on the need for “red tape reduction,” specifically for creating easier and more accessible ways to access financial supports and programs in place for poultry farmers and for streamlining regulatory requirements.
• Many participants expressed that the poultry industry is misrepresented both in the public eye and in policy decisions, as industry stakeholders are often treated as one uniform industry and not always provided with an opportunity to voice their concerns/ suggestions or to present policymakers and the public with accurate data.
• The Canadian poultry sector comprises several small farms, while the American market has several large farms that dwarf Canadian capacity . The small capacity was seen as a public perception advantage for Canadian farmers but as a source of significant challenges to bringing investment to Canada.
• Communication and data sharing throughout supply chain sectors was often mentioned as a key to success that needs to be addressed through policy in order to ensure the longevity of the poultry sector in Canada.