September 26, 2007

Pilgrim Pride's poultry growers asking for higher contract fees

Poultry raisers are urging poultry mogul Pilgrim's Pride for an increase in their contract growing fees.

Though most of the poultry growers are independent, many still rely on contracts from Pilgrim's Pride, which processes more than 7 million pounds of poultry each week at its Union Parish, Louisiana plant, according to the Associated Press.

The poultry growers have said that a 0.2-cent per pound increase for broilers means nearly US$2,000 extra for each typical shipment of 160,000, 6-pound chickens to Pilgrim's every seven weeks.

Thomas Wade, a Union Parish grower says that the word is out that they've got a raise, nothing official has been released yet, adding they are "really feeling a squeeze."