To be the industry leader, offering affordable insurance solutions, serving producers of the Canadian regulated poultry industry.
Prior to CEIRA’s establishment, insurance for the presence of Salmonella enteriditis (SE) was not readily available or affordable in Canada. SE is a bacterium that can be found in a variety of food products, including fresh eggs. To reduce the risk, Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) have an extensive SE surveillance framework on all Canadian regulated egg farms which identifies the presence of the SE bacteria prior to eggs making their way to the consumer.
CEIRA issued its first SE policies in August 2011. By banding together, regulated egg supply chain producers have an accessible insurance product to manage their SE business risk.
The Federal Health of Animals Act provides partial compensation for losses for federally reported diseases such as Avian influenza (AI). Poultry producers are aware that they are exposed to risks not covered by the Federal Health of Animals Act. In response, CEIRA with financial assistance from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, developed an AI insurance product and issued its first AI policies in September 2018.
This Canadian AI insurance product designed for an entire poultry industry is the first of its kind globally. There are currently several countries interested in adopting the Canadian model to their respective poultry industries.
In February 2019, CEIRA issued policies for its 3rd underwriting group, members of the Équipe québécoise de contrôle des maladies avicoles (EQCMA). EQCMA is a partnership of the Québec poultry industry (producers and industry) established in 2005 to coordinate activities in the prevention and control of poultry diseases. EQCMA’s insurance policy provides coverage to the Québec poultry industry for losses associated with highly pathogenic avian influenza or low pathogenic H5 or H7 influenza virus, Newcastle disease, Pullorum, Fowl Typhoid, Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) and Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG).
CEIRA started issuing insurance policies to the Québec broiler breeder hatching producers on January 1, 2020. These producers form CEIRA’s 4th underwriting group and are a subgroup of EQCMA members. The insurance policy provides coverage against losses associated with Salmonella enteriditis and Mycoplasma synoviae.
CEIRA’s membership includes approximately 1,750 subscribers within four (4) separate underwriting pools.
A reciprocal insurance exchange is defined as an unincorporated group of individuals and/or corporations who, as members, agree to exchange contracts of insurance (policies) and share their homogenous risks among the group.