Hatching Eggs Sector: New option added to Young Farmers Program

Like every segment of the Canadian agriculture industry, the hatching egg producer sector looks for ways to encourage and recruit young farmers to get involved in leadership roles in the industry. Since 2002, the Canadian Broiler Hatching Egg Producers’ Association (CBHEPA) – the national producer association – has offered an annual program for farmers 39 years of age or younger. 

The program gives producers the opportunity to tour primary breeder facilities in the U.S. – Aviagen and Cobb – and learn more about the hatching egg industry and broiler breeder management.

Starting this year, CBHEPA is collaborating with CHEP to offer a new professional development component to the Young Farmers Program. The new option is designed to help develop leadership skills for younger producers who may come up through the ranks.

“We want to help widen the world for young producers by helping them gain more experience about their industry and learn what the national agency does,” says Teddy Markey, communications and government relations advisor at CHEP. “They have the chance to learn about the issues CHEP deals with, develop networks across the country and participate in board meetings at the provincial and national levels.”

With the new professional development option, young farmers applying to the annual program can choose to be part of the tour component, the professional development component or both. The first participants in the new part of the program will be chosen this spring.

“The federal government occasionally contacts CHEP looking for young farmers to participate in working groups or advisory councils, and this expanded program will give us a pool of producers to draw on that could represent the industry and be better prepared to participate in federal initiatives,” says Markey. 

For more information, visit chep-poic.ca.