Jessica Nixon is a first year Poultry Science graduate student at North Carolina State University – passionate about the poultry industry and the contribution farmers make to the world. She helped represent the small school/big opportunity focus of NC State with attendees of the International Poultry Expo in Atlanta.
NC State grad student shares passion at IPE
Tyson Foods “engaged in sustainability”
Ohio company features probiotic for poultry
Ohio company Ganeden Biotech featured its patented probiotic strain at the International Poultry Expo in Atlanta that it’s marketing now for poultry and livestock. Matt Schrage says GanPro improves overall gut health of poultry and livestock. It’s marketed through the newest division of this company founded in 1997 that began by marketing its patented probiotic strain for consumer use in supplements and other products.
I found out about the company and GanPro from Julia Boyd who I had the pleasure of sharing a taxi ride with to the Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center. She introduced me to Matt for the interview below. Julia is Ganeden’s Business Development Coordinator. The company is based in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
Massman displays case packer for eggs
Massman Automation Designs of Minnesota displayed their dual-lane case packing machine for shell egg production at the Poultry Expo in Atlanta. Sales Manager Brad Hanke had the machine in operation at his exhibit and said international visitors were interested in automating packaging equipment in their operations.
The “Incredible Edible Egg” still is
A great protein value for the diet and extremely versatile in cooking is the “incredible edible egg.” The American Egg Board‘s Ashley Richardson talked with me about the attributes of eggs and how the board works to create and maintain markets for farmers to help feed a growing world population. She says it’s important to have a variety of consumer choice when it comes to eggs and says their ”Good Egg” project is how the board is getting the good word about eggs out there.
Japanese firm features cage washing machine
Japanese company Kohshin Engineering which processes livestock manure into fertilizer featured its new automatic cage washing machine at the IPE.
Kohshin President Yuzo Sumiya, through his translator Teruaki Yosida, told me poultry is very big in Japan where there are as many chickens as there are people. That said, Kohshin was here to drum up business with European and Central and South American customers. Sumiya says they have no U.S. customers because the rules and regulations here are too strict.
AUDIO: Interview with Yuzo Sumiya through translator Teruaki Yosida (5 min. MP3)
Pelbo egg pasteurizer featured at IPE
Industry changes and the Expo’s evolution
Consolidation and technology are the biggest changes in the poultry and egg industry over the years. US Poultry & Egg Association veterans Don Dalton and Larry Brown talked with Brownfield about those changes at the International Poultry Expo (& International Feed Expo) in Atlanta and about how the Expo has evolved. The Expo was held at the Civic Center in Atlanta 25 years ago – and is now held in the Georgia World Congress Center where they utilize both of the show floors. Dalton, a past president of US Poultry & Egg says although there are international poultry shows in Europe and Asia, exhibit-wise, this is the largest poultry show in the world.
On both the industry side and allied suppliers side of the industry, Brown says, consolidation is the biggest change since the beginning of the Poultry Expo in the 1970s. He says it’s been a challenge to maintain the size of the show but they have. “On the broiler chicken side, we probably have half the companies we had 30-40 years ago,” Brown says.
Brown says computer technology and automation – all the moving parts on the trade show floor – represent the transformation of poultry and egg production.
While domestic production is solid – Brown says it’s the international markets where the U.S. will see the most growth. “The potential in the future is exports,” says Brown, “And, chicken still remains the most inexpensive protein.”
Former US Poultry & Egg Association president Don Dalton says, “There are a lot of developing countries that have chicken production but it’s on-farm production. It’s not production like we have.” He says, “There’s a lot of potential to build more of that and to provide more protein to those countries.”
China, Russia and Mexico are the leading buyers of US poultry and eggs. Brown mentioned that there have been some quota issues with Russia.
This 64th Annual International Poultry and Feed Expo has had more attendees than past years – over 20-thousand industry leaders from all over the world. Gwen Venable, communications director for the US Poultry & Egg Association, tells Brownfield they had more than 900 exhibitors this year representing a 12 percent increase over last year.
Auburn assists with science-based research
Dr. Shelly McKee says Auburn University has been able to provide third-party research that backs up some of the changes now being seen in the poultry industry. She says their research on salmonella and campylobacter that is peer-reviewed and published and that is helping the industry deal with and reduce food safety concerns based on science. McKee was on a panel of experts at an IPE educational session held Thursday.
Food safety and animal welfare
The Vice President of Food Safety & Production with the US Poultry & Egg Association, Dr. Al Yancy, coordinated the educational sessions at this year’s International Poultry Expo. Those sessions – on sustainability, salmonella reduction, and other dustry topics – were a big hit with attendees and credited for an increase in this year’s Expo attendance. He talked with Brownfield about some of those issues, and how other industry groups are taking the lead on animal welfare issues.



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