BURLINGTON, ON – Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) has launched a new poultry disease insurance peril ensuring Ontario’s family-run chicken farms will be protected if chickens contract Reovirus disease — a viral arthritis that causes inflammation of the leg joints or tendons in poultry.
Reovirus is the second poultry disease included in the CFO disease insurance platform, which started with basic coverage for avian influenza in 2018. The new reovirus coverage is being provided by Poultry Insurance Exchange (PIE), a reciprocal which delivers insurance and risk management services to members of the poultry industry in Canada.
“Ontario has experienced the impact that disease poses for our sector,” said Murray Opsteen, Chair, Chicken Farmers of Ontario. “We know that avian influenza is a global threat to poultry production and the entire Canadian chicken industry has been managing through the most recent outbreaks since onset in the spring of 2022. Reovirus is a threat as well, which is why the CFO Board has been working to provide this additional insurance peril – bolstering our risk management strategy and further supporting our farmers.”
The new PIE reovirus insurance coverage includes elements such as veterinary fees, laboratory fees, cleaning and disinfection fees and a quantification model designed to assist farmers with loss of income.