September 1, 2004

 

 

US Poultry Industry Looks To Exports For Future Growth

 

Chicken continues to dominate the meat market for Americans. But poultry farmers will have to look outside U.S. borders if they want to continue to expand production.

 

"We're depending on exports more than anything else to increase the consumption of poultry worldwide," said Don Dalton, president of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, a trade group based in Tucker.

 

The United States currently produces more than twice as much poultry as its leading competitor, Brazil, which puts out nearly 6.6 million tons of meat a year.

 

Despite seeing its egg-laying industry migrate, Georgia tops the nation's broiler market, hatching more than 1.3 billion chickens last year.

 

Iowa now tops the nation for egg production, with hens laying more than 40 million eggs a year in the state. Nebraska also ranks in the top 10 egg-producing states.

 

"We are close to the corn and soybean supply, so that gives us the potential for growth in this state," said Sheila Scheideler, professor of animal science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

 

However she expects measured growth of 2 percent to 3 percent this year as egg farms try not to oversupply the market.

 

The U.S. growth in poultry meat production will depend on the industry's ability to export to foreign consumers, as well as stifle trade disputes with countries like Russia and China, Dalton said.

 

Dalton said that Brazil is emerging as a strong competitor for domestic poultry farmers. Thailand has seen a slowing of its chicken production because of bird-flu outbreaks and subsequent import bans. But Dalton predicted that the country will eventually become a tremendous exporter, primarily to Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

 

"We're really depending on exports," he said. "The likelihood that we're going to put any more chicken down the throat of U.S. consumers is dim."