The president of Direct Farm Manitoba is disappointed that an appeal on behalf of small scale chicken farmers has been rejected by Manitoba Chicken Producers.
Phil Veldhuis says that new regulations surrounding a specialty quota program will impose punitive and arbitrary costs on producers.
It's estimated that under the new program, administrative fees of nearly $80,000 could be imposed on small scale producers in order for them to continue to raise the same number of birds.
Direct Farm Manitoba initiated an appeal of the cancellation of existing exemption programs to support the small farmers who would be directly affected by being forced into a new program with a maximum production limit less than their historical production.
“This is a poor decision for Manitobans who care about where their food comes from, we hope the public will support us as we take this appeal to the Manitoba Farm Products Council," said Veldhuis.
Source : Portageonline