Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 9/16/16


The Canadian government announced Wednesday an investment of $690,000 (US $523,436) to poultry group Éleveurs de volailles du Québec (ÉVQ) to help the Quebec poultry industry reduce the preventive use of antibiotics.

The project provides that the poultry research chair at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will assess various alternative strategies and their effects on flock performance. The latest research into anti-microbial resistance builds on a previous project, also funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and will seek solutions that can be applied across the entire poultry industry. 

"The government of Canada recognizes that the use of antibiotics in agriculture is of growing concern with consumers,” said Pierre Breton, member of Parliament and of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. “The government is supporting the Quebec poultry industry as it continues research to reduce the use of antibiotics in chicken production, which will benefit public health and promote prosperity for producers and all Canadians." 

ÉVQ's membership includes all of Quebec's 814 chicken and turkey producers, who collectively earn over $725 million (US $548.7 million) in farm cash receipts annually.

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