At its recently held Annual General Meeting, the Canadian Poultry
Research Council (CPRC) established the 2010 Board of Directors,
reviewed CPRC’s activities in 2009 and took a look at the future of the
organization.
At its recently held Annual General Meeting, the Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC) established the 2010 Board of Directors, reviewed CPRC’s activities in 2009 and took a look at the future of the organization. These activities are detailed in the 2009 Annual Report, which is available on the CPRC website (hard copies are also available on request). A few highlights are provided below:
2010 Board of Directors
CPRC is pleased to introduce its 2010 Directors, who represent each of the organization’s five founding members. Jacob Middelkamp was elected to serve a second year as CPRC chairman. Middelkamp is an Alberta broiler producer representing Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC). Roelof Meijer, a turkey producer from Alberta representing Turkey Farmers of Canada (TFC), was elected vice-chairman. Erica Charlton will continue to represent the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council (CPEPC) on the CPRC Board. Charlton is CPEPC’s technical director. Dr. Helen Anne Hudson will also remain on the CPRC Board. Hudson represents the Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC). She is self-employed as a poultry consultant working mainly for Burnbrae Farms. The Canadian Hatching Egg Producers (CHEP) have a new CPRC director this year, Cheryl Firby. Firby is director of agricultural operations for Maple Leaf Foods.
CPRC thanks Chris den Hertog for his work with CPRC over the past five years; he capably served two of those years as CPRC chairman and one as vice-chairman. Den Hertog resigned as national director to CHEP in March and is now looking forward to spending more time on his broiler breeder farm in British Columbia. Best wishes to Chris and his family.
CPRC also thanks Dr. Roger Buckland for his tireless efforts with CPRC over the past five years. Buckland has had a significant impact on Canadian poultry research over his distinguished career. We wish him all the best during his well-deserved retirement.
CPRC welcomes the newcomers to the Board and thanks our Directors for their ongoing efforts in support of
CPRC activities.
New Research
CPRC’s research programs were expanded in 2009 to include two new projects in the Avian Gut Microbiology program, one in the Environment program, and one in Novel Feedstuffs. The latter is a program aimed at addressing the issue of rising feed costs for poultry producers in Canada. CPRC commitments to date total almost $1.4 million in support of 26 projects. These projects secured matching funds totalling more than $6 million. This means that CPRC dollars have been matched or leveraged 4.3:1. CPRC has committed up to an additonal $220,000 for three proposals that are currently under consideration for matching. CPRC also committed $500,000 for new research as part of a science cluster application to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)’s Growing Forward initiative. The cluster pulls together scientific expertise for research that will help the poultry industry address a number of important issues. Industry and government organizations across Canada have committed to the research. If the application to AAFC is successful, the cluster research budget will total more than $3 million over three years.
National Research Strategy
The concept of clusters of scientists working in cooperation towards common goals ties in very well with CPRC’s efforts towards more a cooperative and coordinated approach to poultry research in Canada. There are many organizations across Canada that fund poultry research. CPRC’s goal is not to duplicate the efforts of these organizations by simply becoming another purchaser of research, but instead is to work with these organizations to develop a system that will leverage as many industry dollars as possible with other sources. CPRC has drafted a national research strategy document as a starting point in developing such a system. The system will be developed in consultation with industry, academic and government groups. These groups will all be represented at the workshop in Ottawa May 12 and 13, 2010, and will have the opportunity to discuss their and CPRC’s role in developing Canada’s poultry research program.
For more details on any CPRC activities, please contact Gord Speksnijder at The Canadian Poultry Research Council, 483 Arkell Road, R.R. #2, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 6H8, phone: (289) 251-2990, fax: (519) 837-3584, email: info@cp-rc.ca, or visit us at www.cp-rc.ca .
The membership of the CPRC consists of the Chicken Farmers of Canada, the Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, the Turkey Farmers of Canada, the Egg Farmers of Canada and the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors’ Council. CPRC’s mission is to address its members’ needs through dynamic leadership in the creation and implementation of programs for poultry research in Canada, which may also include societal concerns.
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