About Supply Management

Supply management provides Albertans with locally produced, affordable, high-quality products that comply with Canada's strict food safety standards. Supply management is the national marketing system employed by five Canadian agricultural commodities: chicken, dairy, table eggs, turkey, and hatching eggs. Each commodity operates through a Provincial marketing board or commission. Supply management is based on three basic pillars, each of which is critical to ensuring that the system operates smoothly: import controls, production planning, and producer pricing. Our commodities are committed to excellence in animal care, food safety and product quality.

A Market Response System: Producer Discipline

Producer discipline is key to the success of the Canadian supply management system. Producers responsibly balance supply with demand for chicken to avoid costly surpluses.

Production Quotas

Production quotas are an important tool in supply management to balance chicken production with demand. This ensures consumers are provided with a reliable supply of quality food at reasonable prices, and producers receive equitable and stable revenue directly from the market, without subsidies or taxpayer dollars.

A Model of Stability

Over the years, Canada’s supply management model has proven to provide a stable environment within which the chicken industry has been able to meet the challenges of changing domestic and international markets.