The supply managed Alberta egg industry has seven new participants selected through the Egg Farmers of Alberta new entrant program.
The seven will be allocated quota at no cost and will join more than 150 EFA farmers in egg production.
Alberta was allocated additional quota earlier this year through the annual review process that gauges supply and demand.
Ten percent of that new quota, equivalent to 10,538 birds, was made available to new entrants and the rest was allocated to existing producers.
The EFA identified 40 candidates who applied to become new entrants, and the final seven were determined through a draw, said an EFA news release issued July 31.
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All new quota holders must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, cannot be current or former quota holders, nor can they be current or former shareholders in a company that has quota.
Applicants each had to provide a business plan accompanied by a $1,000 fee. They were then reviewed by a selection committee.
The seven new entrants have two years to activate their quota and once activated, that quota cannot be transferred or sold for 10 years.
The new entrants to the Alberta egg industry are:
Esther Weisse of Lethbridge
Silver Valley Colony of Bonanza
Vanessen Enterprises Ltd. of Coaldale
Lougheed Colony of Lougheed
Richard and Mandy Molenaar of Grande Prairie
Tara Warkentin of Fort Vermilion
Leslie Sax of Neerlandia
