LONDON, Ontario – The government of Canada announced nearly C$2 million ($1.6 million) in funding for various projects that develop new insurance tools to help poultry and egg producers manage risk in the event of a poultry disease outbreak such as avian influenza.

Investments include:

  • $659,750 for L'Équipe québécoise de contrôle des maladies avicoles to develop an insurance-based compensation plan for Quebec poultry producers to cover certain costs related to six diseases, including avian influenza (AI), during an outbreak.
  • $378,250 for the Canadian Egg Industry Reciprocal Alliance to develop an AI insurance for Canadian regulated egg supply chain producers and a Salmonella enteritidis insurance for Quebec broiler breeders hatching egg producers.
  • $473,700 for Chicken Farmers of Ontario to develop enhanced biosecurity operating procedures during a poultry disease outbreak, and to implement AI insurance to compensate chicken and turkey producers in Ontario for losses resulting from a disease outbreak.
  • $318,500 for the Poultry Insurance Exchange Reciprocal of Canada to develop AI insurance for Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan hatching egg producers and Ontario table egg producers.

Ed Benjamins, chair of Chicken Farmers of Ontario, said support from the federal government has enabled the egg, hatchery, turkey and chicken sectors to strengthen biosecurity protocols while addressing poultry diseases in the province of Ontario through insurance solutions. “Chicken Farmers of Ontario has been working towards implementing a disease insurance platform as a direct result of this federal support,” Benjamins said.

Poultry farmers in Canada generate C$3 billion in farm cash receipts, in addition to the C$1 billion generated by egg farmers, according to the Canadian government. Poultry processors generate nearly C$8 billion in sales.

“Canadian egg producers have developed an avian influenza insurance product to cover losses not covered by the Health of Animals Act, said Andre Patry, general manager, Canadian Egg Industry Reciprocal Alliance. “This new coverage will provide for a quicker return to financial stability had this new product not been available. This achievement would have been considerably more difficult and not achievable had it not been for AAFC’s AgriRisk Initiative.”