The outbreak of avian influenza in the United States has also become a cause of concern for chicken farmers north of the border. Amy Vanderheide, Chair of the Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia, said, “As part of our trade agreements across Canada, we are required to allow 20 percent of hatching eggs to come into the country.”
“As a result, due to avian influenza in the U.S., these chickens have been wiped out. This is affecting how many chickens we’ll be able to produce here next month or beyond. We’ve also experienced avian influenza outbreaks within the country, which has impacted our breeding stock. So, at the same time, we are going through a rebuilding phase. Here in Nova Scotia, there have also been some cases in small backyard flocks. So, we are monitoring that closely.”
Sylvain Charlebois, head of the Agri-Foods Lab at Dalhousie University, said that with spring approaching, more birds will migrate to Canada. Some of these may carry the virus. That’s why many people in the industry are “holding their breath,” he said.
Charlebois noted that Canada’s biosecurity practices are even stricter than those in the U.S. Farmers here manage risks differently compared to their American counterparts. Geography is also an added advantage here.
Vanderheide mentioned that, as part of the trade agreement between the two countries, Canada has so far not sent any birds to the United States.
