Chicken remains the number one meat choice in Canada, and Canadian producers enjoyed a marginal rise in production last year.

David Fuller, the outgoing head of the Chicken Farmers of Canada, warns that the industry must be vigilant in tackling issues that could stifle growth.

Last year, Canadian chicken production increased 1.2 per cent. Farmers supplied more than one billion kilograms of product to domestic and export markets.

"It is an industry that provides a substantial economic benefit for every province in this country. And we do this without any taxpayer subsidies," Fuller said. 

However, Fuller warns that dark clouds are materializing in the Canadian chicken industry. Chicken Farmers of Canada is demanding a crackdown on what it sees as illegal shipments of foreign poultry product into Canada.

"The numbers are rising, and that's a concern to us. They use the word fowl to get it into the country to get around the import pillar, around the tariffs. But when they get it into the country then it's chicken. If it's fowl coming in, it has to be fowl in the country. If it's chicken coming in, then you have to face the tariff wall coming in," said Fuller.

Another issue raising concern is antibiotic use in the chicken industry. Some producers add antibiotics to rations to prevent flocks from getting sick. But there are worries that could create resistant bacteria. Steps are being taken to limit the use of antibiotics.

"We're doing surveillance to see what the use actually is out there. Because we need to know where we are before we can start to reduce. We're looking at alternatives that we can use. So there are a number of different factions on this that we're looking at right now," Fuller said.

The chicken industry is focusing on best practices, such as cleaning and disinfecting barns. That should provide a healthy environment for birds and reduce the need to use antibiotics.