The federal government released details April 13 of the compensation arrangement hammered out with the poultry sector for concessions granted as part of the CP-TPP free trade agreement with Pacific Rim nations.
The package, worth $691 million nationally, includes up to $86.8 million for growers in BC. Payments will be made to producers over 10 years for on-farm improvements and enhancements.
Producers will receive a share in accordance with their quota holdings as of January 1, 2021, which will cover 70% of the cost of eligible projects. Young farmers – those who were under the age of 35 on January 1 – will have up to 85% of their costs covered, “to help ensure a strong future for Canada’s farms.”
A portion of the funding allocated to the chicken and turkey sectors will fund marketing and promotions to support sales of domestic product, directly addressing competition anticipated from imported meat.
“These promotions will be especially helpful to our hard-working turkey farmers, who have not seen the same level of market growth as the other supply-managed commodities,” federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in announcing the funding.
The compensation arrangements reflect plans outlined to BC chicken growers at their annual general meeting on March 3. Other poultry groups indicated at the time they were still working out the terms of their compensation programs.
This week’s announcement ends the waiting for growers, who can begin planning for the future with certainty, Bibeau said.
A second tranche of payments to dairy producers is also in progress while compensation for concessions under the CUSMA, which replaced NAFTA last year, has yet to be announced. Bibeau said Ottawa was preparing to make good on its promise to deliver compensation for CUSMA.
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