Canada Invests $1.8 Million to Boost Poultry Industry

ABBOTSFORD, British ColumbiaCanada will invest $1.8 million to bring together scientific expertise from academia, industry and government to address sector priorities and challenges concerning poultry health, food safety and quality and production practices that will help the industry become more competitive in domestic and international markets.

The Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC), which represents poultry organizations across Canada, will manage this investment to address key priorities identified by the sector. Research will focus on strategies to enhance poultry health and welfare, new production practices, and innovative products including new vaccines to protect birds and people from diseases such as clostridia, Salmonella and avian influenza. By gaining a better understanding of diseases and developing alternative treatments, the industry will continue to provide nutritious and safe poultry products.

Producers are looking for ways to make their operations more sustainable and enhanced farming practices are important to the future success of the industry. This investment will support the CPRC and other industry partner contributions of over $759,000 for the cluster.

"The Canadian poultry industry is pleased to be working with federal and provincial governments, universities and industry organizations across the country on developing the Poultry Science Cluster," said Jacob Middelkamp, chair of the CPRC. "This initiative focuses a wide range of intellectual and financial resources on key issues faced by our industry and is a significant step toward strategic investment in the future of the poultry sector."

The Poultry Cluster initiative is delivered through the Growing Forward framework under the Agri-Innovations program, a $158 million 5-year program that supports industry-led science and technology projects.