The National Farmers Union (NFU) welcomes this opportunity to participate in the “Consultation on Small Flock Policy” undertaken by the Chicken Farmers of Ontario.
We welcome the efforts of the CFO over the past year to conduct this pilot project. The CFO has responded to legitimate requests by farmers and farm organizations to address the need for regulations governing small flock exemptions.
The NFU put forward a proposal for small flock exemptions in 2006. In that proposal, the NFU expressed its strong support for supply-managed commodities and the original principles of supply-management. The supply-management system estimates demand, coordinates supply and returns costs of production to family farms. The NFU fully supports collective marketing of farm products so that family farms receive a fair price for their work and investment.
