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Broiler chickens are one of the most important sources of animal protein worldwide. Their rapid growth, efficient feed conversion, and high-quality meat make them a cornerstone of modern poultry production.

Georgia regained its status as free of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, HPAI, in poultry on March 13, which means the state can restart exports and international trade of its poultry products.

U.S. operations lead with 14.8% margins as Just Bare brand hits $1 billion in retail sales. Pilgrim's Pride Corp. reported net sales of $18.5 billion for 2025, driven by growth across its U.S., European and Mexican operations, the company announced.

Projected broiler production was adjusted higher in the first half of 2026 reflecting recent hatchery data, while 2026 broiler export projections were unchanged.

Simmons Foods Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated company headquartered in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Founded in 1949, the company has grown into a diversified food and ingredients producer with strong expertise in poultry, pet food, and animal nutrition.‍

Aviagen is planning to invest US$40 million in a new poultry breeding cluster in Uzbekistan. The US poultry genetics company aims to strengthen the country’s domestic poultry supply and reduce reliance on imported breeding stock.

We invite you to meet U.S. poultry producers and suppliers at the UzFood 2026 International Food Exhibition, which will take place April 1–3 in Tashkent. Industry representatives will be pleased to discuss cooperation opportunities, present their products, and connect with food industry professionals. The USAPEEC booth will be located at G80–G86, pavilion A in NEZ Uzexpocentre.

U.S. turkey exports reached a record value in January 2026, broiler export volume rose, and egg exports declined slightly, according to USDA data.

Farmer's Report - March 13, 2026 US Foods® is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 250,000 restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With 30,000 employees and more than 70 locations, we provide our customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology, and business solutions.

Consumers may have noticed the cost of chicken meat has not climbed in relation to soaring egg prices amid production losses due to highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts say several factors make meat production broiler farms more resilient to outbreaks, keeping prices relatively stable.

Peco Foods Inc. is a family-owned, fully integrated poultry grower, processor, and marketer headquartered in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Founded in 1937 by Herman Hickman in Gordo, Alabama, the company began as a small hatchery and feed mill. Over the decades, it has grown into a major U.S. poultry producer with operations across Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

Recent military escalation has created uncertainty across global energy markets, shipping routes, and commodity supply chains. While markets currently anticipate a contained conflict, the situation remains fluid and could have broader consequences if disruptions to energy exports, fertiliser trade, or maritime transport routes persist or intensify.

Chickens are one of the most widely domesticated animals in the world, providing eggs, meat, and companionship to people across the globe. The U.S. poultry industry plays a significant role in food production, supporting farmers and contributing to the economy. These fascinating facts will give you a deeper appreciation of chickens, their unique characteristics, and their impact on agriculture.

Consistency, digestibility and energy advantages of U.S. Soy translate into better growth, feed efficiency and flock uniformity.

The U.S. broiler industry enters 2026 on solid footing, supported by strong consumer demand and favorable economics — but persistent hatching problems, rising construction costs, and a shifting export landscape are tempering what might otherwise be an aggressive expansion cycle, Christine McCracken, executive director and protein analyst at Rabobank, said at the 2026 Annual Meat Conference. 

A fourth-generation, family-owned company, House of Raeford Farms Inc. is a vertically integrated chicken producer headquartered in Rose Hill, North Carolina. Founded in 1925 as a family farming operation and incorporated as House of Raeford in 1975, the company has grown into a major U.S. broiler producer serving North America. It exited the turkey business in 2013 and today focuses exclusively on chicken.

In January–February 2026, Uzbekistan imported meat products with a total value of $156.9 million, which is almost twice the figure for the same period in 2025, when imports amounted to $89.2 million. This is according to data from the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan.

We invite you to meet U.S. poultry producers and suppliers at the UzFood 2026 International Food Exhibition, which will take place April 1–3 in Tashkent. Industry representatives will be pleased to discuss cooperation opportunities, present their products, and connect with food industry professionals. The USAPEEC booth will be located at G80–G86, pavilion A in NEZ Uzexpocentre.

Founded in 1985 as a one-room chicken deboning and cutting operation with just 13 employees, Koch Foods Inc. has grown into one of the largest vertically integrated poultry processors in the United States. Headquartered in Park Ridge, Illinois, the company now employs 14,000 people and operates across Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee.‍

Consumers often get mixed messages regarding some food industry terms. Some of these terms may appear on chicken labels. Here are the facts to help clear up any definition confusion.

A century ago, Americans would not recognise our modern hunger for chicken. The year-long market for tender but relatively bland chicken meat is a newish phenomenon, and without it the idea of chicken cutlets, $5 rotisseries, or the McNugget would be a fantasy.How did America go from thinking of chicken as an “alternative” meat to consuming it more than any other meat?

Chickens today are in fact bigger and grow faster! As the demand for chicken as a protein has increased, especially chicken parts like breasts or thighs versus whole birds, farmers have worked to create larger and healthier chickens to meet that demand.

With further processing advancements and genetic improvements, the industry is satisfying the customer demand for convenient poultry products.

As one of the world’s leading food companies, Tyson Foods, Inc. plays a central role in the global poultry industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company’s poultry division is primarily made up of its U.S. production operations, supported by an extensive international network of subsidiaries and joint ventures.

According to USDA Foreign Agricultural Service data, U.S. broiler exports in January–December 2025 declined modestly in volume, reflecting substantially lower shipments to China, Vietnam, HongKong, Mexico, Cuba, and Angola. However, strong growth in several emerging and value-driven markets helped cushion the overall decline and supported export revenues.

The reciprocal trade agreement between the U.S. and Indonesia which was signed on February 19th stands to have a positive impact on the prospects for poultry exports to one of the world’s largest markets. Indonesia will allow imports of U.S. chicken parts, including leg quarters, breasts, legs, and thighs.

Ever wondered where our feathered friends, the chickens, come from? In this blog post, we’ll dive into the origins of domesticated chickens, their evolution, and how they became our trusty backyard companions!

The U.S. broiler industry has kept pace with extraordinary growth in chicken consumption but is now facing supply and production challenges.

Chicken leg prices across Asia rose sharply in December, driven by tight supply in Japan and mixed conditions elsewhere.

Sanderson Farms is one of the largest fully integrated poultry producers in the United States. Founded in 1947 in Laurel, Mississippi, the company has grown from a small regional business into a major national supplier of fresh and frozen chicken products. Today, Sanderson Farms operates an extensive production network across the southeastern and south-central United States, supplying retail, foodservice, and export customers.

US domestic per capita availability of broiler meat reached a new all-time quarterly high during Q3 2025, climbing to 18.9 pounds on a boneless weight basis. The 3.5% year-on-year increase marked a significant milestone for the broiler market as production surged.

The money will be used to help expand U.S. poultry and egg exports. USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) has been awarded nearly $7 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to help expand exports of U.S. poultry and eggs.

The United States is the world's largest producer and second largest exporter of poultry meat, and is a major egg producer. Poultry meat (broilers, other chicken, and turkey) accounted for 51 percent of total red meat and poultry disappearance in 2024. Also in 2024, 13.6 percent of poultry meat produced in the United States was exported. The U.S. poultry industry is influenced by currency fluctuations, trade negotiations, and international competition. The poultry and egg industries are also major consumers of feed grains.

The United States has long been a major player in the global poultry market, with broiler (chicken meat) exports representing a significant share of domestic production and serving key trading partners around the world.

Cobb-Vantress, an American poultry genetics company headquartered in the United States, is one of the world’s leading suppliers of broiler breeding stock, operating in more than 100 countries and serving producers that account for the majority of global broiler production. With a heritage of more than 100 years in poultry breeding and a strong focus on research, data-driven genetic progress, and global technical support, Cobb plays a central role in improving efficiency, productivity, and sustainability across the global poultry industry.

The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent hosted a seminar for importers in Uzbekistan on GSM 102 program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.‍The GSM-102 program provides credit guarantees to encourage financing of commercial exports of U.S. agricultural products to buyers in countries that have sufficient financial strength to have foreign exchange available for scheduled payments.

According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. broiler exports in January–November 2025 declined modestly in volume, reflecting sharply lower shipments to China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Mexico, Cuba, and Angola. These losses were partially offset by strong gains to several key growth markets, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Ghana, Turkmenistan, Chile, and the United Arab Emirates.

The chicken industry in the United States is one of the most successful sectors in agriculture. In a little over 50 years, the U.S. broiler industry has evolved from fragmented, locally oriented businesses into a highly efficient, vertically integrated, progressive success story increasingly supplying customers nationwide and around the globe. The modern chicken industry produces nutritious, wholesome, high quality products that became more affordable year after year. Much of the success of the industry can be attributed to a more efficient structural organization, improved production and processing technologies, and a continuing responsibility to consumer demands. Outlined here are the important milestones that helped make the chicken industry the success it is today.

Tyson Foods reported that first-quarter of fiscal year 2026 was the fifth consecutive quarter for volume gains in its chicken segment. The Tyson Foods chicken segment generated $459 million in operating income at a 10.9% margin, while overall poultry volume increased 3.8% to reach an all-time Q1 record.

Global meat trade is expected to increase by 1% in 2026, though growth will vary across product categories. These figures are cited in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) December report.

For people in agriculture in Alabama, it is no secret that chicken/broiler farming and exporting are big in the state, with Alabama holding the number two spot in the U.S. for production and exports, according to the Alabama Poultry and Egg Association (AP&EA). The poultry industry in Alabama has more than a $15 billion impact on the state and represents 1/8th of Alabama’s economy, according to the AP&EA.

While New England is known for its chowder and Seattle its salmon tossing, when it comes to Super Bowl menus, nothing is hotter than wings. The National Chicken Council (NCC) today released its annual Chicken Wing Report, projecting Americans to eat 1.48 billion chicken wings watching the Patriots and Seahawks battle for the Lombardi Trophy. This figure represents an increase of about 10 million more wings than last year’s game.

Long before the days of chicken sandwich wars, wings, and sliced rotisserie, there was a time when few Americans actually ate chicken. Flashback to the early 1900s. On the flipside, rural Americans typically only ate chicken once an old hen stopped laying eggs—which generally tasted pretty dry and tough. Cecile Long Steele of Delaware is credited with pioneering the poultry industry in 1923— just over 100 years ago!

Pilgrim’s Pride plans to invest US$1.3 billion in its Mexican operations to help reduce the country’s chicken supply deficit and improve food security, according to Mexico’s Minister of Economy Marcelo Ebrard. The investment is expected to allow Mexico to replace 35% of its chicken imports with domestically produced poultry.

More than 20 USAPEEC member companies are waiting to welcome you until January 30, 2026 at the Council’s stand in Hall 2 of the Sheikh Saeed Pavilion (Hall 2), blocks S2-A2, S2-A50, and B50 (location: https://usapeec-ca.com/event/gulfood-exhibition)

More than 20 USAPEEC member companies are waiting to welcome you until January 30, 2026 at the Council’s stand in Hall 2 of the Sheikh Saeed Pavilion (Hall 2), blocks S2-A2, S2-A50, and B50 (location: https://usapeec-ca.com/event/gulfood-exhibition)

The USDA-Economic Research Service released updated production and consumption data with respect to broilers and turkeys, covering 2024, a projection for 2025 and a forecast for 2026.

More than 20 USAPEEC member companies are waiting for you until January 30, 2026 at the Council’s stand in Hall 2 of the Sheikh Saeed Pavilion (Hall 2), blocks S2-A2, S2-A50, and B50 (location: https://usapeec-ca.com/event/gulfood-exhibition).

The outlook for the global poultry industry remains strong for 2026, with another year of robust growth of around 2.5%, following three consecutive years of approximately 3% growth globally.

The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans put a key emphasis on prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense protein foods, like chicken, as part of a healthy dietary pattern across all stages of life. The Guidelines also specifically recommend consuming a variety of protein foods from animal sources, including poultry.

According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. total broiler exports in January-October 2025 were down in volume due in large to decreased shipments to China, Vietnam, Mexico, Iraq, and Hong Kong, but broiler shipments to other export markets such as Taiwan, Philippines, Canada, Congo (Kinshasa), Haiti, Turkmenistan, Ghana, South Korea, Timor-Leste, Benin, Dominican Republic, Libya, and Chile registered tremendous gains over the same period a year earlier.

Globex International is a global food supply company established in 1993 in New York, USA. Today, Globex employs over 80 people worldwide and operates offices in the United States (New York and Atlanta), Brazil, China, Colombia, Latvia, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and Thailand.

Historically, chicken has been cheaper than other animal proteins such as beef and pork. Although inflation since 2021 has driven prices of popular chicken cuts like boneless skinless breast meat, tenderloins, and wings above $3.00 per pound at times, bone-in dark meat continues to offer a relative value advantage.

Mountaire Farms Inc. is a family-owned vertically integrated poultry company founded in 1914. Its manufacturing facilities are in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and Arkansas, and its products are sold under the Mountaire brand in regional, national and international markets. The company employs 10,243 people; in 2025, Forbes magazine named Mountaire Farms one of America's best employers.

Despite regional differences, low feed costs and strong consumer demand are supporting global poultry markets heading into 2026. According to Rabobank’s Poultry Quarterly Report global growth in 2025 has been revised up from 2.6% to 2.8%, with most markets remaining profitable despite challenges such as HPAI and trade disruptions.

The Government of Kazakhstan has published a list of poultry meat import quota allocations Phase 1 2026.

A 23-year-old Zoe Rosenberg, an animal rights activist with the extremist group Direct Action Everywhere, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail, found guilty of four charges — including a felony count of conspiracy and three misdemeanor counts of trespassing and tampering with a vehicle.

Pilgrim’s Pride this week broke ground on a new prepared foods facility in Walker County, Georgia. The company is investing $400 million in the 300,000-square-foot facility in northwest Georgia, which is expected to create approximately 630 new jobs upon completion.

During the first 9 months of 2025, Uzbekistan saw robust growth in poultry imports, likely falling short of its ambitious target to boost poultry production to 1 million MT and become a net broiler meat exporter. Uzbekistan imported 54,600 MT of poultry meat, 14.2% up compared with the previous year, the National Statistical Committee recently revealed.

Chicken consumers want a sense of control and personalization when it comes to foodservice, overwhelmingly looking for “build your own experiences,” according to the first-ever food trends report from Yum! Brands.

U.S. turkey and egg exports increased in value during the first three quarters of 2025, while broiler export value declined slightly, according to USDA Foreign Agricultural Service data.

Consumer loyalty and rewards app Fetch is releasing its first full-year Fetch Finds Report, revealing the unexpected ways Americans shopped and dined in 2025.

The National Chicken Council’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Search campaign won the Silver Award for “Best Use of New Technology in Communications"