Print this page

Supply Management

Supply management is a unique marketing system whereby farmers grow enough food to match consumer demands and industry needs. Supply management controls domestic production and imports. Five commodities are supply-managed: eggs, milk, chicken, turkey, and broiler hatching eggs.

Supply management was originally implemented to stabilize highly volatile markets. For some agricultural commodities, there is significant lag time from demand changes to matching that demand. This results in market instability which in turn leads to fluctuations in producer prices and, ultimately, has an effect on the prices paid by Canadian consumers. Supply management creates an orderly marketing system through collaboration among Canadian farmers and the provincial and federal governments.

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 Canadian Egg Marketing Agency (CEMA) 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 British Columbia, 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 CEMA at the national level.