Supply Management

Supply Management

Supply management is a unique marketing system that controls domestic production and imports of eggs, milk, chicken, turkey, and broiler hatching eggs. Eggs have been supply managed in Canada for more than 40 years.

Why Do We Have Supply Management?

The Government of Canada introduced the supply management system in the early 1970s to combat the surplus in production that had become common in the 1950s and 1960s. At this time, egg farming was an economic roller coaster that led to large price swings for consumers and bankruptcy for family farms. Today, supply management works to provide a stable market for both consumers and farmers.

How Does Supply Management Work?

Each year, a production quota is set so the supply of eggs can meet the demand from consumers. This quota system helps us avoid over or under production of eggs. The system means we can provide a fair and stable return for farmers without having to rely on subsidies or taxpayer dollars. It also ensures that there is no over-production or shortage of eggs, which means a fair price for consumers.

Supply management provides a stable income for farmers and an affordable and high-quality product to consumers without costing taxpayers a penny. Supply management also benefits Canadian communities by strengthening Canadian egg farms, creating local jobs and opportunities.

Marketing boards are the only entities authorized to facilitate a system of supply management. Provincial egg boards operate to regulate egg production and movement within their boundaries. The Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) coordinates and consolidates provincial efforts.

In addition, there are provincial and federal government supervisory bodies which regulate the operation of provincial marketing boards and the national agencies. In B.C., the BC Farm Industry Review Board and the BC Council of Marketing Boards serve this function. The National Farm Products Council supervises the operation of EFC at the national level.

To learn more about supply management, visit the BC Supply Management website.

Economic Impact

The Dairy, Egg and Poultry Industries (DEPI) are all supply managed commodities in Canada. As such, they hold a unique position in our economic landscape.  They also represent some of the most successful agriculture sectors in the BC. The DEPI commodity boards have partnered together to prepare a report that illustrates the economic impact of the supply managed sectors (dairy, egg, chicken, turkey, and hatching eggs) on the economy of BC, and to explain the role of supply management in these industries.