Ontario kosher consumers could have a locally produced source of chickens by the end of the year, according to a spokesperson for Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO), a producers’ group that regulates the provincial poultry quota under the authority of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture.

The CFO received a number of applications to produce kosher chickens to serve the Ontario market under a request for proposal whose deadline expired on May 30.

“We are expectant that we will have an Ontario partner to produce kosher chickens for the Ontario Jewish community, up and running this year,” said Michael Edmonds, director of communications and government relations for the CFO.

Edmonds declined to name the applicants or state how many there were. The CFO’s board will examine the applications and make a decision based “on the strength of the business proposal,” he said.

Edmonds said the CFO had agreed to increase the number of chickens in Ontario that can be processed to meet the kosher consumption needs of the Jewish community. Normally new entrants to the business must purchase the quota held by another processor.

Up until May 2013, kosher consumers in Canada were served by two chicken producers, Marvid, based in Montreal, and Chai, based in Toronto. Chai sold its quota last May to a halal producer, leading to a shortage of kosher chickens.

Marvid has stepped up production to meet consumer demand, but apparently not all Toronto consumers are satisfied with their birds.

“The community very clearly told us they’re looking for Ontario kosher chickens,” Edmonds said. “We’ve received numerous calls from consumers and retailers that there was not enough high quality processed kosher chickens in Ontario right now.”