Perspective from Western Canada and the Canadian meat industry

The Canadian broiler chicken and turkey industries are distributed approximately according to human population. Individual components of these industries tend to be smaller than their U.S. counterparts and not to be vertically integrated. The outlook of the poultry meat industries is positive because of increasing per capita consumption of chicken and the potential for gains in turkey consumption. The number of permanently employed poultry scientists at publicly funded institutions has declined in Western Canada. University training in Poultry Science is restricted to four major institutions where it has been integrated into Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine programs. For the most part, poultry scientists have developed successful research programs and this research has been enhanced by scientists employed in term positions. Publicly funded poultry extension has declined but this reduction has been compensated to some degree by industry-sponsored programs and the private sector. The majority of research funding, which was once derived from government, is now provided by industry; government contributions are frequently contingent on initial industry support. The consequence of this type of funding arrangement is a trend to more short-term and less long-term research. Canada has no strategic plan regarding poultry training, research, or extension and this needs to be addressed before there is a further reduction in the country's infrastructure. Modern communication technology offers promise to reduce the isolation of scientists in different parts of Canada.