CPRC Update: January 2011

Poultry research in Canada is getting a boost from the federal government. Last November, Member of Parliament Ed Fast (Abbotsford), on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, officially announced that the Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC) will receive up to $1.8 million to lead a Poultry Research Cluster.

The Cluster brings together expertise from across the country to tackle some important research issues for the industry. The funding comes from the Growing Canadian Agri-Innovations Program, a $158-million, five-year program announced in May 2009 to support industry-led science and technology projects. The program is delivered nationally by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) as part of the federal commitment to Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative designed to support the productivity, profitability and competitiveness of our agriculture industry.

Activities within the Cluster can be divided into three main themes, which align with national research priorities:

• The biology and control of gut-borne bacterial diseases in poultry;
• Biology and control of avian influenza in poultry;
• Innovative production technologies and practices for Canada’s poultry sector.

The proposed research is divided into 11 core activities led by 21 principal scientists and a number of support personnel from the following institutions:

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada;
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency;
• University of Alberta;
• University of Guelph;
• University of Montreal;
• University of Saskatchewan;
• Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization.

CPRC is contributing $589,000 towards the research over three years. Coupled with the funds from AAFC and those from other industry organizations ($170,000) and government offices ($293,000) plus in-kind contributions, the total Cluster budget exceeds $3 million. The following organizations are contributing funding for research within the Cluster:

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada;
• Agriculture Funding Consortium (Alberta);
• Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency;
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency;
• Canadian Poultry Research Council;
• DSM Nutritional Products;
• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs;
• Poultry Industry Council;
• Saskatchewan Agriculture Fund;
• Saskatchewan Chicken Industry Development Fund.

This collaboration among scientists and support organizations is the core value of the cluster approach to research and is an initiative CPRC is developing as part of a national poultry science strategy. Pooling intellectual and financial resources to address issues of common interest is a powerful way to maximize the impact of our collective investment in research.

Research within the Poultry Science Cluster is scheduled for completion early in 2013. The work fits in well with Canada’s existing poultry research programs and promises to yield valuable information for the industry. Among the expected outcomes are a better understanding of certain poultry diseases, a novel means of their control, and recommendations on management practices that will further improve poultry health and welfare. We will bring you details on the outcomes of this research as it becomes available.  For more details on these or any other CPRC activities, please contact Gord Speksnijder at the Canadian Poultry Research Council, 483 Arkell Road, R.R. #2, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 6H8, phone 289-251-2990, fax 519-837-3584, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit us at www.cp-rc.ca .

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The membership of the CPRC consists of the Chicken Farmers of Canada, the Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, the Turkey Farmers of Canada, the Egg Farmers of Canada and the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors’ Council. The CPRC’s mission is to address its members’ needs through dynamic leadership in the creation and implementation of programs for poultry research in Canada, which may also include societal concerns.