CFC Update: On-farm investment program

The Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program (PEFIP), established by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to help Canadian poultry and egg producers adjust to market access losses due to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), is now open.

The PEFIP will grant $347.3 million to chicken producers over 10 years to offset qualified investments in their business. Funding for eligible producers is based on their provincial quota or production on January 1, 2021, as determined by their respective provincial marketing board. 

Once registered with PEFIPOS, applicants can establish their maximum financing amount.

To participate, producers must first register with PEFIPOS and create a user profile. Project applications can be completed and submitted once the participant profile has been created.

On-farm investments that are eligible include those that:

• increase efficiency or productivity;
• improve on-farm food safety and biosecurity;
• improve environmental sustainability; and/or 
• Respond to consumer preferences, such as improving animal welfare, converting to alternative housing systems, or switching to organic production.

All project applications must be received by March 31, 2030, and all project activities completed by March 31, 2031. Applicants can also apply for financing for actions that began on or after March 19, 2019 and are still ongoing.

Please consult the PEFIP website for all additional information regarding the program and don’t forget to register!

Meeting with federal ag minister
Representatives from the national poultry agencies met with federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau in mid-January to discuss items included in her new mandate letter. CUSMA support programs were a key priority for the meeting with the Minister, as the government previously committed to determining compensation within the first year of their mandate. 

The new mandate letter states:

“As Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, as an immediate priority, you will develop a sector-specific strategy to address persistent and chronic labour shortages in farming and food processing. You will also prioritize measures to support efficiency and climate-resiliency in the agriculture and food sector to strengthen food security and significantly cut agriculture’s environmental footprint, as well as working closely with provinces and territories and producers to support the sustainable growth of the agricultural and agri-food sectors, with an aim to establish Canada as a global leader in the sector. Furthermore, you will strengthen Canada’s food system, with particular emphasis on developing a National School Food Policy.”

The mandate spells out some of the commitments, including:

“With the support of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, and in partnership with provinces and territories, employers, unions and workers, develop a sector-specific Agricultural Labour Strategy to address persistent and chronic labour shortages in farming and food processing in the short and long term.”

“As part of a green agricultural plan for Canada, increase support to farmers to develop and adopt agricultural management practices to reduce emissions, store carbon in healthy soil and enhance resiliency; triple funding for clean tech on farms, including for renewable energy, precision agriculture and energy efficiency; and work with farmers and stakeholders to reduce methane and fertilizer emissions in the agricultural sector.”

“Continue to protect supply-managed agricultural sectors, our family farms and the vitality of our rural areas, working with supply-managed sectors to provide full and fair compensation with respect to the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and making this determination within the first year of our mandate. You will be supported in this work by the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development.”

“Working with provincial and territorial governments, develop the next agricultural policy framework to continue to support the sustainable economic growth of the agriculture and agri-food sector, ensuring climate action and resilience are core to the framework.”  

News for Canada’s chicken farmers contributed by Chicken Farmers of Canada, which represents 2,800 producers from coast to coast. Visit chickenfarmers.ca for more information.