Chicken Farmers of Canada has underproduced for nine consecutive cycles — something unseen in over 40 years

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In theory, supply management is designed to protect both farmers and consumers — a uniquely Canadian invention meant to ensure stability, fairness and predictability in our food supply.

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But 2025 has shown how fragile that promise has become.

Canada is now facing one of the most severe chicken shortages in recent history, and consumers — not farmers or processors — are paying the price.

For decades, chicken has been the steady protein of the Canadian diet: Versatile, affordable and insulated from global price swings. Yet this year, the system meant to guarantee a consistent supply simply failed. The Chicken Farmers of Canada, the agency that sets production quotas in eight-week “A-periods,” has underproduced for nine consecutive cycles — something unseen in over 40 years.

Supply management rests on three pillars: Domestic production, controlled imports, and storage........

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