PGC re-elects executive and seeks agency status

Mar. 27, 2012, Ottawa, ON – The annual general meeting of the Pullet Growers of Canada (PGC) has reconfirmed their continued pursuit of Agency status under Part 2 of the Farm Products Agencies Act and determined their organizational leadership going forward.
 
The AGM marked the election of the PGC Executive with the return of Andy DeWeerd (ON) as Chair, Emmanuel Destrijker (QC) as Central Director and Vice-Chair, Cal Dirks (MB) as Western Director and Treasurer and Marc Ouellet (NB) as Eastern Director and Secretary. Jeff Clark (NS) was later elected to the Production Management Committee of Egg Farmers of Canada as the pullet producer representative.
 
“We are getting very close to being ready to submit our application to the Farm Products Council of Canada,” says PGC Chair Andy DeWeerd. “One of the last items we need is a non-binding letter from each province indicating their continued general support in principle for PGC’s on-going pursuit of Part Two Agency status.”
 
To this end, over the next several weeks PGC will be addressing each of the provincial supervisory agencies to ensure all their questions have been answered and that there is a fundamental understanding of the proposed pullet industry structure across Canada once Agency status is achieved.
 
“PGC will be the first new commodity to come under supply management since 1986, so it is important that we move forward with complete transparency and with the full support of our industry partners,” says DeWeerd. “We have been consulting with the provinces throughout this entire process and now, as their annual meetings and elections are taking place, we want to confirm their continued support in this process.”
 
Nationally, the pullet growers are the only sector in poultry that does not operate under supply management and to date their issues have been voiced through the egg organizations. However, egg organizations are mandated to represent only their egg producers and not the pullet growers.

“The time has come for pullet growers to have their own voice on such issues as cost of production, disease control, HACCP [Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points] programs and housing standards, among many others,” says DeWeerd. “Being an autonomous agency will give PGC the required legal powers to make decisions on these issues, on behalf of pullet producers across the country.”

About the PGC
 
The Pullet Growers of Canada (PGC) was established to represent the common interests of Canada’s pullet growers. The evolving need to unite the industry has led PGC to seek status as a Part 2 Agency under the Farm Products Council of Canada (FPCC) / Conseil des produits agricoles du Canada (CPAC). PGC endeavours to create a strong pullet industry by leading excellence in production and management practices and by being the producer’s voice in effective communication and industry engagement. Its membership represents pullet growers nationwide and has the support of the Eggs Farmers of Canada as well as the producer-managed provincial egg organizations.