July 9, 2007

Perdue highlights challenges of the poultry industry

The US poultry industry faces several competitive disadvantages when compared to other industries, a shortage of farmers, strict environment standards and high energy costs, a Perdue spokeswoman said.

Other challenges the industry faces include the loss of farmland and grain supply issues, Julie DeYoung, vice president of corporate communications for Perdue Farms said in a presentation to Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who toured two Perdue Farms facilities recently.

On the grain issue, Deyoung explained that farms have had to meet the challenge of finding a stable supply of grains for the chickens while grain production itself vary according to the weather and other factor.

The poultry industry, she said, is a ''three-legged stool''  that involves the poultry producers, the poultry companies and grain farmers to all do their part.

Besides facts and figures about the industry, Deyoung also highlighted the poultry's industry to the state of Maryland.

Deyoung noted that the industry has the largest economic impact of any other agricultural segment in the state.

Brown later reflected that the tour enabled him to see the importance of the industry in Maryland, how progressive the poultry business is, and how tied to the earth it remains.