Canada’s 4,800 egg and poultry farmers welcome today’s announcement of the two new programs that have been created by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to mitigate the market impacts caused by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) over the next 10 years.

The first program will directly support egg and poultry farmers as they make ongoing improvements to their operations and enhance the long-term efficiency and sustainability of their farms. This Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program will in turn generate economic activity and investments in rural and urban communities across Canada at a time where our small businesses are hurting, and our local economies need it the most.

The second program—the Market Development Program for Turkey and Chicken—will help those sectors to enhance consumer engagement and continue to promote Canadian-made products to Canadians.

The combination of these programs will allow farmers to plan for the future, navigate the unique dynamics of our respective industries, and contribute to Canada’s goals of growing our agricultural sector. Egg Farmers of Canada, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada, and Canadian Hatching Egg Producers thank The Honourable Minister Bibeau and her team for championing poultry and egg farmers.

Today’s announcement is about the $691 million in programs being put in place as a result of the impact of the CPTPP on the egg and poultry sectors. We look forward to continuing this work with the government to address the losses caused by the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.

Egg Farmers of Canada, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada and Canadian Hatching Egg Producers are the voice of farmers in Canada’s supply-managed poultry and egg sectors. We are a stabilizing force in rural Canada and a part of Canada’s economic solution, contributing $11.1 billion to the GDP and supporting over 144,000 jobs.