MONKLAND — Persistence paid off for Robert Laplante, who got a chicken processing quota boost last month after being denied in 2013.
The Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) board and the Association of Ontario Chicken Processors awarded additional processing supply to Laplante Poultry Farms Ltd. of Monkland, which will more than double capacity at the only processor east of Toronto to 500,000 kilograms per eight-week quota period.
“It’s part of a strategy to grow the industry in Ontario and in particular serve Eastern Ontario farmers who currently don’t have a local or regional processor,” says Michael Edmonds, CFO director of communications.
But it seems to be a reversal of an earlier decision. The CFO turned down a request to reallocate quota to Laplante in 2013, which was upheld by the Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tribunal. In June, a Divisional Court ruled against the appeal and ordered Laplante to pay $35,000 in court costs.
The CFO would not comment on previous decisions.
