MANITOULIN ISLAND An Ontario chicken farmer isnt giving up his quest for more quota and has asked the provincial ag minister to force a farm tribunal to listen to his request. Its an appeal that ag ministers rarely grant. Manitoulin Island farmer Glenn Black has been fighting the Chicken Farmers of Ontario over its quota policy, which allows farmers to raise up to 300 broiler chickens without quota. Black wants to raise 2,000 chickens without quota. The Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal ruled on July 31 that Blacks revised appeal wouldnt be heard because it was “vexatious or not made in good faith,” and that the appeal “seeks to litigate issues outside the tribunals jurisdiction.” Blacks original appeal was 272 pages long, most of which were attachments from Internet sources. His revised notice of appeal was 98 pages. Black has now asked Ontario Ag Minister Jeff Leal to order the tribunal to listen to the appeal, something that ag ministers have rarely done. Nova Scotia has the most generous quota policy for non-quota holders with a non-quota limit of 10,000 specialty chickens. |