March 28, 2007

South Carolina and Georgia proposes port for poultry feed and exports

South Carolina and Georgia have proposed to build a new joint port authority that could handle poultry exports from the region and facilitate feed imports for poultry production.

The two states would form a Bi-State Port Authority with a contract to be approved by the two states' legislatures and ratified by the US Congress. The port would be built on land owned by the Georgia Department of Transportation in Jasper County, South Carolina.

A new container port would benefit the poultry industry in the region by reducing the higher cost of shipping feed grains and oilseeds from the mid-western states.

The two states and Alabama account for 70 percent of US chicken production.

Moreover, such a port would also speed export deliveries to Europe and the Middle East, helping the US compete better against Brazil's poultry exports.