5Q: Mark Davies, chair of Turkey Farmers of Canada

Talking to Mark Davies about turkeys is a lot like going on a field trip to a farm and learning about how to raise a flock, from the day birds arrive from the hatchery to being shipped off for processing.

It's a topic Davies, chair of Turkey Farmers of Canada, the association that oversees the $378-milllion turkey industry in this country, knows well, having raised the birds on his family-run farm in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley for decades. What started out as a chore at the age of 12 has become a life long career.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, turkeys will surely be in the spotlight. But in recent years, Davies and others in the industry have aggressively marketed the meat beyond festive seasons as an alternative to chicken, beef and pork. To put that into perspective, for example, there are roughly 530 turkey producers in Canada, compared to some 2,600 chicken producers, says Davies.  

Davies sees the so-called "further processing" market, where the meat can be sized, marinated, or cooked with ingredients to make ready-to-eat products, as the key growth area going forward.

Did you know at a young age you'd become a turkey farmer?
I was looking at maybe doing something with teaching and music. I probably knew all along I'd end up at the farm.

You're in your seventh year as chair of the Turkey Farmers of Canada. How did you go from being a farmer to heading the group?
When I first started I was just on the farm. I really knew nothing about what went on with our supplied managed system. To make a long story short, I went to the first annual meeting in my province. I was nominated to sit on the board on the national level in the late '90s. I've been there ever since.

Given the recent economic volatility, what's the state of the turkey processing industry in Canada?
It's pretty stable. Our particular commodity is a bit higher cost and it is often linked to the economy. If we have a struggling economy, sometimes we'll face the same challenges as people look for cheaper alternatives.

We keep hearing family sizes are shrinking. How does that impact your industry?
I grow about 60,000 birds a year. My birds are that smaller bird. You're seeing this bird in the store, eight, nine, 10 pounds. It's made for that customer base of the one, two, three person unit or family. Before the birds were much larger, like 20 to 30 per cent bigger. We still grow a lot of bigger birds and that is for the further processor.

Why do you see big growth in the further processing part of your industry?
This is just what the public is looking for now: prepared meals, different recipe ideas, different ethnic dishes.
 
Why do you figure more people want turkey compared to other meats?
People realize it's not just a festive meal. It's popular specifically at Christmas and Thanksgiving and to a lesser extent at Easter, but it's getting people to think outside of the box. When they realize you can get parts, you can get it in different forms, once they try it, it's that aha moment. It's, well that's a great idea. They'll make lasagna with ground turkey or they'll make pot roast with turkey.
 
That must irk other meat industries
There's only so much purchasing power out there. There's only so much protein people will eat. It's a fight for market share. We have a pretty good product. Ours is so lean and healthy.
 
Speaking of being irked, do vegetarians impact your business much?
Nothing we've seen. Research from the American Dietetic Association and Dieticians of Canada tells us, I believe, it's 2.5 per cent of adults in the U.S. or 4 per cent in Canada follow a vegetarian diet. We've always said it's about individual choice. We feel we offer a good alternative for protein.
 
What about other criticism such as the use of antibiotics,  zoonotic diseases?
Not really so much. The odd time you get criticism is from an activist group. Turkeys are targets around the festive seasons, but even then we've not seen it as a prevalent issue. On zoonotic disease outbreaks, we have on-farm programs that include bio-security measures, in order to reduce the risk of outbreaks on Canadian turkey farms.

And worries your supply management system hinders economic activity?
Supply management aims to set the level of production and to negotiate producer pricing, as well as control imports. If you can't control the imports you can't set the right amount of production. We always take the consumer into account. The principles are solid and will remain intact as we move to address market changes and consumer preferences.  Supply management does not put a burden on taxpayers.
 
How do you handle criticism of any nature?
We'll engage, and we'll engage in facts. We just don't get into a debate about someone's social beliefs or their individual beliefs. That's their right. My whole job is to make sure my birds are very comfortable and healthy. That's my job as a farmer.
 
We know you are passionate about the turkey industry. What do you when you're not hanging out with turkeys?
Music. music. music. I'm a mix of a turkey farmer and a rock and roller.
 
Oh yeah? What kind of music?
Hard rock. Even though I'm a farmer there's no country music for me.