Here at the Poultry Industry Council, we’ve just hit the end of our
first round of the Producer Updates, so I thought this would be a good
time to bring everyone up to date with what PIC has been up to recently
and where we’re headed in 2010.
The PIC has had a successful year of producer education
Here at the Poultry Industry Council, we’ve just hit the end of our first round of the Producer Updates, so I thought this would be a good time to bring everyone up to date with what PIC has been up to recently and where we’re headed in 2010.
Producer Updates
First up, many thanks to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMFRA) for supporting the PIC to help bring the Producer Updates back. We’d heard from quite a few farmers that they’d been popular and were being missed, and the response to this first round of updates validated this fact.
Five regional producer updates were held within five months across Ontario (in Brodhagen, Guelph, Belleville, St. Catharines and Ingersoll), giving producers an opportunity to become more informed about the latest poultry research, poultry health problems, OMAFRA updates on changes in legislation and information about industry funding programs.
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| They’re Back. The Producer Updates in Ontario made a return in 2009/2010 thanks to a joint effort between the Poultry Industry Council and OMAFRA. Shown here are attendees at the update held in Ingersoll in March 2010. |
We were able to garner industry support and ownership of the events through sponsorships and by hosting regional planning sessions. The planning sessions also provided a great opportunity for networking and cooperation between industries.
We have built a speaker rotation schedule of six speakers who will rotate through the regions over three years providing the latest information on core producer update topics: nutrition, the environment, water, manure management, ventilation management, and biosecurity. Two of these topics will be discussed at each update, as we rotate across the province.
The speaker rotation ensures that all producers will have an opportunity to be kept up to date on new innovations in these core areas, while still keeping each year’s line-up fresh and interesting.
Along with the rotational speakers, each producer update also contained a health update (provided by a local veterinarian), an OMAFRA update (from provincial poultry specialist Al Dam), as well as three to five presentations from either local producers or industry members providing information on management techniques or new products.
All of the feedback we have received from the 265 industry and producer attendees has been very positive and all attendees have indicated that they wanted the poultry producer updates to continue.
This year’s producer updates were generously sponsored by: Brian’s Poultry Services Ltd, Curtis Chicks, the Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO), Farm Credit Canada, Fleming Chicks, Floradale Feed Mill, Hensall District Co-Op, Hybrid Turkeys, Maple Lodge Farms Ltd, Masterfeeds, New-life Mills Ltd, Nieuwland Feed & Supply Ltd, Niagara Grain, Nutreco Canada, the Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg & Chick Commission (OBHECC), Stratford Chick Hatchery, TD Canada Trust, the Turkey Farmers of Ontario (TFO), Vetoquinol, Wallenstein Feed & Supply, and W-S Feed and Supplies.
We’d also like to publicly thank the speakers who gave freely of their time:
Dr. Mike Joyce, Steve Leeson, Derek Detzler, Bill Van Heyst, Al Dam, Dr. Mike Petrik, Leanne Cooley, Jassmin Hofer, Ian Pollick, Rachel Ouckama, Mark Newcombe, Tim de Wit, Chris Gwyn, Tom Cosstick, Steve Halley, Dr. Liz Black, Jim Skinner, Dan Ward, Mike Terpstra, Michael Leslie, Jorge Cota, Joanne Rafuse, Claude Thibault, Scott Rowland and Cathy Mous.
Also this year, the PIC published two research results in Canadian Poultry magazine each month and seven factsheets can also be found on the PIC website (www.poultryindustrycouncil.ca), or if you give us a call we can very quickly send you a copy.
We also produced five “Spotlight On……” email news broadcasts featuring the latest national and international innovations in: genetics and biotechnology, biogas, environment (eco-friendly meat production), spent hen management and chlorine wastes.
By the time you read this we’ll have just completed the London Poultry Show and we’ll be about to embark on our annual Research Day. This year’s theme is poultry welfare and features a terrific line-up of speakers from the University of Guelph, University of Saskatchewan and Purdue University.
This year we introduced our Science in the Pub series. These are great events, discussing science and contentious issues over a beer or two with friends, colleagues, students and academics. It’s a free exchange of opinions and facts in a relaxed atmosphere. The next one will be a discussion on the use of antibiotics in agriculture on June 8th at the Wellington Brewery in Guelph, Ont., starting at 5 p.m.
Last but definitely not least, the PIC Innovations Conference was moved to Niagara Falls and this is where it will be held again this year. This year’s theme: poultry health, mythbusting, management and medication. Practical sessions on providing the very latest technical and management information about the real drivers of poultry health and productivity will also be held.
In collaboration with OMAFRA, the Biosecurity Outreach Program (BOP) is the PIC’s most recent initiative. This program is a parallel program that complements the Growing Forward program. By completing a biosecurity self assessment, and developing and implementing a biosecurity plan, Ontario producers may be eligible for government assistance for initiatives that assist in providing better on-farm biosecurity. PIC’s role in this is to ensure that anyone who may be eligible is fully aware of the program and knows how and where to apply for assistance. PIC is also providing an information service for the small (non-commercial) flock sector to ensure we get full coverage across the province, no matter where poultry is raised and housed.
You can find video footage of all the talks that are presented at PIC events by going to our website www.poultryindustrycouncil.ca , or request hard copies by fax or mail by contacting us at (519) 837-0284.
We look forward to seeing you throughout the year at our various events.
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