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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • APRIL 2019


Turkey consumption continues to decline Multi-million dollar “Think Turkey” marketing campaign in the works


by DAVID SCHMIDT VANCOUVER – While BC chicken and egg


producers are experiencing unprecedented growth, BC turkey growers are languishing as demand for turkey shows no signs of increasing. “One of the major issues facing the industry is


lack of growth,” BC Turkey Marketing Board chair Kevin Klippenstein told growers at their annual meeting in Vancouver, February 28. “Our allocation is continually shrinking or is flat.” “Per capita turkey consumption has dropped


from about 2.2 kgs in 2012/13 to 1.8 kgs in 2018,” Turkey Farmers of Canada executive director Phil Boyd reported. As a result, stocks have shot up dramatically in recent years, rising from 13.3 million kgs at the end of 2013 to over 17 million kgs at the end of 2018. Boyd said the 2018 numbers are actually a slight


improvement over 2017 as there has been a little growth in the further processed market and a decline in the inventory of small whole turkeys. Because of the state of the market, TFC chair


Darren Ference expects the added imports allowed under recent trade agreements will have more of a direct impact on turkey growers than on chicken and egg producers. “The trade deals are a direct hit on our farms,”


Ference said, noting CUSMA gave the US 29% more access to the Canadian turkey market.


To try to make production better match market demands, TFC is reducing allocations on whole birds and increasing them on birds for further processing. That, however, is straining the allocation process. Klippenstein noted BC is “leading the work to review how provincial allocations are determined to ensure it remains fair to growers across the country.” Ference said younger generations are not eating as much turkey, especially on holidays which have traditionally been the mainstay of the turkey market. Meanwhile, Asian immigrants “don’t know turkey at all.” “The whole bird market at Christmas was very disappointing,” Boyd said, noting Christmas whole turkey sales dropped from 31 million kg in 2017 to just 27.9 million kg in 2018. To spur growth in consumption, both TFC and


the BCTMB have initiated aggressive marketing campaigns. TFC recently increased its levy to fund a $5 million five-year Think Turkey marketing campaign. “We are going to show Canadians why they should include turkey more often,” Ference said, adding that the cost of the marketing campaign is being shared equally between growers and processors. For its part, the BCTMB obtained funds from the


province’s Buy Local program to take direct aim at the Asian market. The BC campaign included in-


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store sampling, with Klippenstein telling growers the store he attended on a sampling day was full “so we know the interest is there.” “There is a lot of opportunity,” added BCTMB general manager Michel Benoit. When you put aside the issues around declining


turkey consumption, “2018 was a good year,” BC Turkey Association president Steve Heppell reported. “Not having any major issues to deal with is a good year.”


He complimented the annual turkey and egg


farmers’ charity golf tournament, noting it raised over $50,000 for the Union Gospel Mission last year. He said the four feather groups are now taking their support of UGM to a higher level. They have committed $750,000 over the next three years to pay for the whole kitchen in the new women’s facility UGM is building. “You will get some arm-twisting” as the associations raise the promised funds, Heppell told producers, adding it will be named the BC Poultry Kitchen.


The annual meeting was the last official function


for Les Burm, who served on the board for the better part of the past two decades. After Burm announced his intention to retire last summer, the BCTMB received BC Farm Industry Review Board approval to appoint James Krahn as an additional director for the final few months of the year to enable an orderly transition.


OYF nfrom pg 13


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Young Farmers’ program annually recognizes farmers who exemplify excellence and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. To be eligible for the regional award, applicants must be between 18 and 39 and derive most of their revenue from on-farm sources. They are judged on the progress in their agricultural careers, the sustainability of their farming operations and involvement in their industry and community. The Lockwoods will


represent BC at the national OYF event in Fredericton, NB, December 4-8. That event will choose two national winners from the winners in seven regions across Canada.


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