The federal government announced Thursday $1.2 million in financial support to three organizations to help poultry producers better prevent disease outbreaks.

In addition to economic losses, disease outbreaks can have impacts on animal welfare, food supply and the mental health of producers, says Ottawa, which says it deploys this support to avoid precisely such impacts.

As part of this assistance, the Producteurs d’œufs d’incubation du Québec (POIQ) is receiving $531,813 to implement a group insurance plan covering losses related to Salmonella enteritidis and Mycoplasma synoviae.

The Reciprocal Alliance of the Table Egg Industry of Canada (ARIOCC) can benefit up to $408,485 to cover table egg producers against avian influenza.

For its part, the Quebec Poultry Disease Control Team (EQCMA) is inheriting $337,126 in assistance to launch an insurance product covering table egg producers against false layer syndrome.

"These sector-led projects are effective tools to mitigate the impact of the challenges our agricultural producers face," said Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.

“This aid was also used to update the coverage of the plan according to the needs of producers as well as to ensure a retention fund”, reacted for his part Gyslain Loyer, president of POIQ.