Date published
August 20, 2024
Alberta Chicken Producers is a farmer-run, not-for-profit marketing board that regulates broiler chicken production in Alberta.
Alberta Chicken Producers is comprised of 250 regulated chicken producers. All registered producers must follow national food safety and animal care programs, which are audited annually by third party auditors; and, they must maintain their certification under these programs as a condition of their licenses to produce chicken.
Alberta Chicken Producers license and register all producers, hatcheries and processors engaged in the production of regulated product in Alberta. In addition to regulated producers, Alberta also provides an exemption limit of 2,000 chickens per year for individuals to raise and market chicken for the purposes of personal consumption, sale from farm gate, or sale at farmers’ markets within Alberta.
The 2,000 exemption is the highest in Canada; and Alberta Chicken Producers champions the size of the Alberta exemption limit nationally because it offers opportunity for producers to gain experience in the production of chicken and enter the industry.
Exempt chicken production is marketed through channels that are not competition for the regulated producers. We value the exempt sector and want to work with these producers, where and as appropriate, to ensure they are set up for success in complying with the regulations.
Alberta Chicken Producers also issues a Communal Group Quota to communal groups that wish to grow more than the 2,000 exemption. Communal groups wishing to access this production are permitted to grow up to 6,000 chickens annually for the purposes of personal consumption, sale from farm gate or sale at farmers’ markets within Alberta. There are currently 74 communal quota holders in Alberta.
Our farmers are committed to the care of their birds and to providing consumers with safe, high- quality chicken. Canada has some of the highest food safety standards in the world. In fact, 100% of our farms are audited and certified annually under On-Farm Food Safety and Animal Care Programs. By purchasing fresh chicken, you are supporting local farmers who are committed to safe, high-quality chicken. Our farmers are consumers as well.
To learn more about Alberta Chicken Producers, please visit chicken.ab.ca