Special Report

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.

AUDIO: Don Dalton & Larry Brown (4 min. MP3)

AUDIO: Gwen Venable (2 min. MP3)