Canada. National Farm Products Council : The National Farm Products Council was established in 1972 under the Farm Products Marketing Agencies Act (1972). Parliament created the National Farm Products Council to help stabilize interprovincial trade in farm products. Producers faced uncertain and volatile prices due to unregulated interprovincial movement of agricultural products. The Council also administers the Agricultural Products Marketing Act (1949).
The National Farm Products Council has two main roles in dealing with national marketing agencies. First, the Council is a source of expertise for the Government of Canada. It advises the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food on all aspects of the marketing agencies including their creation and operation, and it promotes an efficient and competitive agriculture industry. Second, it supervises the operations of national marketing agencies to ensure each one accomplishes what it was set up to do: promote a strong, efficient, and competitive production and marketing industry, and operate in the interests of producers and consumers.
The Council supervises the operations of four national marketing agencies. It ensures they work best for both producers and consumers. The agencies manage the supply of Canadian chicken, turkey, eggs, and broiler-hatching eggs. They implement and administer marketing plans, allocate production quotas, and generate their revenues through levies.
In 1993, the name of the Farm Products Marketing Agencies Act was amended to the Farm Products Agencies Act and the name of the Council was revised from the National Farm Products Marketing Council to the National Farm Products Council. Also, Parliament gave the Council an additional role of supervising any national promotion and research agencies established under the Farm Products Agencies Act. In 2002, Canada established the first such agency -- the Canadian Beef Cattle Research Market Development and Promotion Agency. This agency promotes beef marketing through advertising, promotion and consumer education programs, and through product and nutrition research.
In its operations, the Council consults the agencies as well as provincial and territorial governments and other branches of the Government of Canada. The Council approves agency orders and regulations. It also hears complaints about agency decisions.
The Council reports to Parliament through the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
