It was my very special privilege to serve as your Chairman during our 40th anniversary of national egg supply management. Forty years is a significant milestone, an important time to step back and reflect upon our shared success.
This being my inaugural annual report message as Chair, I would first like to express how honoured I am to have been elected to lead Egg Farmers of Canada. I consider it a great privilege to lead and I will continue to do my utmost in this capacity.
It’s time for a change. After leading Egg Farmers of Canada for eleven years, I’ve decided to step down as your Chairman. This was not an easy decision for me to make. It required a lot of reflection and soul searching.
Egg farmers in this country have an important story to tell. It’s a story about people who are passionate about their work. It’s about people who contribute in so many ways to their rural communities and who produce food that helps feed the country.
What a difference twelve months can make! I can honestly say that 2008 was without question one of the most remarkable times for the organization since I became Chairman. Not only have we grown our markets, sold more eggs and reduced our levy, we’ve also undergone a very significant transformation.
Canada’s regulated egg industry thrives when all producers work together in a spirit of openness and co-operation. This was the vision for our industry when we agreed to operate our farms under supply management in 1972, and I’ve seen the benefits on countless occasions since.