Research project studies air velocity in broiler houses

The U.S. Egg and Poultry Association Foundation announced the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia. The study suggests new design parameters for high air velocity distribution in tunnel-ventilated broiler houses. The project is part of the association's comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. A complete report of the summary is available via the U.S. Egg and Poultry Association website.
F034: Factors Determining Air Velocity Distribution in Tunnel-Ventilated Broiler Houses
Dr. Brian Fairchild and Dr. Mike Czarick at the University of Georgia found important interactions between airspeed, static pressure, and air velocity distribution in tunnel-ventilated broiler houses. Airspeeds in a modern broiler house can be in excess of 600 feet per minute. The study recommends that poultry companies targeting higher airspeeds design their fan requirements at higher static pressures than the traditional design pressure of 0.1 inches of water column.

Poultry and Egg Institute releases driver safety DVD program

U.S. Poultry and Egg Association's Poultry and Egg Institute released a driver training DVD program to assist companies in complying with federal motor carrier safety regulations.
The program, “Pre-Trip, Post-Trip Inspections,” is designed to aid companies in complying with portions of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s CSA 2010 program, which increases the accountability of both the carrier and the driver for motor carrier safety.
The video takes the driver through a step-by-step process to meet the requirements of an effective vehicle inspection process and helps drivers develop a consistent approach to inspections, according to Poultry and Egg Institute. The video was developed by Paul Pressley, executive vice president of industry programs, and safety management personnel from U.S. Poultry member companies.
DVD versions are available online, at no charge for U.S. Poultry and Egg Association members and $200 for non-members.

International buyer program highlighted at poultry, feed expo

The International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo will again feature the International Buyer Program in 2011. Coordinated through the U.S. Department of Commerce, the program brings international buyers to the events to meet with U.S. companies exhibiting at the shows. Exhibitors can explore export opportunities with agency commercial specialists.
Sponsored by U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and the American Feed Industry Association, the global poultry and feed event is scheduled January 24-26, in Atlanta, Ga.

International Poultry Expo scheduled for January 26-28, 2011

U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Exhibitor Advisory Committee reports that the 2010 International Poultry Expo had more attendees than the 2009 event, and that even more visitors are expected at the 2011 event as the economy rebounds.
The 2011 International Poultry Expo will take place January 26-28, 2011, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Halls A and B, in Atlanta, Ga. The event will continue to co-locate with the International Feed Expo, sponsored by the American Feed Industry Association.

Sustainability as a business practice

Before they ask about price, product quality or delivery schedules, customers ask poultry and meat companies about sustainability, according to C. Larry Pope, president and CEO of Smithfield Foods Inc. He told an audience at the 2010 International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo that sustainability goes beyond environmental programs to include animal welfare, antibiotic and drug usage policies, product traceability, worker safety, food safety systems and even financial stability of the company.
Pope’s talk was part of the exposition’s Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit. Pope said that the animal agriculture industry needs to listen to and engage with the groups attacking it. He challenged every industry member to make two visits to a community group or school to dispel misconceptions. “We need to educate all of the groups that challenge our practices,” he said.
Smithfield learned about engaging its critics about a decade ago after it was forced to pay a $12.5 million fine because of a Clean Water Act lawsuit, Pope said. Smithfield subsequently hired the suit’s plaintiff, Dennis Treacy, to head up the company’s environmental programs.
Suzy Freidman of the Environmental Defense Fund, who also spoke at the summit, echoed the sentiment of collaborating with groups that raise concerns. Collaboration can lead to solutions that are both economical and yield environmental improvements, she added.
But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seems to be moving away from the collaborative model, said summit speaker Christian Richter of The Policy Group Inc. He said the EPA is shifting personnel from cooperative voluntary programs to enforcement programs in a move he called “hyper command and control mode.”
The 2010 International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo was sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the American Feed Industry Association.

2010 International Poultry Expo offers 'Grower Days'

The 2010 International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo will offer $5 on-site registration for growers. The event, sponsored by U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and the American Feed Industry Association, will be held Jan. 27–29, 2010, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The normal cost of the event for growers is $60.
The expo features equipment, products and services for all phases of poultry and feed production and processing. Registration will open each morning at 7:30 a.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd., Atlanta. A completed registration form and a Grower Days coupon are required. Coupons are available from state poultry organizations and on the International Poultry Expo Web site.

Economist at grain conference says bull market ‘real’

Speaking at the 2009 Grain Forecast – Economic Outlook Conference, sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Poultry & Egg Institute, economist Dr. Donald Ratajczak said the recent run-up in the U.S. stock market is real and should continue at least through 2010.
“There are some concerns, but I believe the current bull market that began in March is solid and will last a couple of years,” Ratajczak said.
Steve Freed of ADM Investor Services presented saying, “The U.S. needs to bump up corn production in the long run. The biggest factor in corn supply recently has been ethanol. And the trend in corn used for ethanol is clearly higher.”

Seminar explores challenges to rendering industry

U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Poultry Protein & Fat Council sponsored the 2009 Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar featuring Gerald Smith Jr., president of Valley Proteins, Winchester, Va. He presented “A CEO Perspective of the Importance of Rendering.”
Smith explained that fluctuating market conditions, particularly the recent decline in tonnage, causes a major challenge for renderers.
Other challenges include the forecast of only marginal growth in meat and poultry production in the U.S., increasing environmental and food safety regulations and trade issues.
Smith added, however, that biofuels have added significant value to fat products and prices and tonnage should improve, even if at slower rates, as the economy improves.

Poultry forum speakers announced

Economist Donald Ratajczak will be a featured speaker at the Poultry Market Intelligence Forum, during the International Poultry Expo in 2010. He will offer insight on U.S. and global economic conditions. Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the event is slated for Jan. 27-29, 2010, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Additional speakers include economists Mike Donohue and Paul Aho. They will examine the issues that will impact the domestic and international poultry industry in 2010.

Industry leaders to speak at conference

The 2009 Women’s Leadership Conference, sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Poultry & Egg Institute, is slated for October 22-23, in Destin, Fla.
Elise Durbin of the Marshall Durbin Companies will be a featured speaker. Durbin is the corporate secretary-treasurer and vice president of legal affairs for the company her grandfather, Marshall Durbin Sr., founded. She will present a “Profile of Women in Management."
Co-featured at the event is Jim Perdue, president and CEO of Perdue Farms. Perdue will discuss “A CEO’s Perspective of Women in Leadership Roles.”

USPOULTRY accepting award applications

U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is accepting applications for the 2010 Clean Water Awards. The award recognizes outstanding water treatment plant performance in the poultry industry. Winners will be announced at the Association's Environmental Management Seminar in New Orleans, March 17-18, 2010. The deadline for submitting applications is December 31, 2009.
There are two categories for the award: one for full treatment facilities - those that fully reclaim their wastewater prior to discharge into receiving water or final land application system, and one for pretreatment facilities - those that discharge pretreated effluent to publicly-owned full treatment facilities.
An evaluation committee will review the application package and select two semifinalist facilities in each category. The review committee will then visit the semifinalist facilities to select the award recipients. The committee includes university personnel, industry engineers and managers, and state regulatory officials.
Award recipients will receive a trophy, be profiled on the USPOULTRY Web site, and receive assistance from the association in publicizing the award on a local, regional, and national level.
For more information, contact: Paul Bredwell: pbredwell@poultryegg.org.

Registration is open for Poultry & Fat Seminar

The 2009 Poultry & Fat Seminar, sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association's Poultry Protein & Fat Council, will be held October 8-9 at the Marriott Downtown in Atlanta, Ga.
The seminar will focus on the latest poultry production technology and managing techniques in converting poultry byproducts into valuable feed products.
Other topics include: the future of rendering, safety in rendering plants, a CEO's perspective on the importance of rendering, and plant operation management systems.
To register for the Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar, go to www.poultryegg.org.

Antibiotics act meets disapproval

The Coalition for Animal Health, in a letter to speaker Nancy Pelosi, asked that the "Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009" not be added to bills now being considered, including food-safety and health-care reform legislation.
The bill would ban animal health products that are used to prevent and control diseases from use in livestock and poultry. Farmers only would be allowed to use animal health products that treat diseases.
The bill also would require all "critical antimicrobial animal drugs" to go through a second U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process within two years of enactment of the legislation. Currently to win approval, an animal drug maker must demonstrate that a product is effective and safe for animals and for the environment.
In its letter, the Coalition also noted that the food-safety and health-care reform bills are based on the important principle of prevention.
Among the groups in the Coalition for Animal Health are the National Chicken Council, the National Turkey Federation, United Egg Producers and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.

EPA's CAFO regulation changes challenged

The National Chicken Council and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association have filed suit in the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans challenging certain aspects of the Environmental Protection Agency’s new regulation on water pollution discharges from confined animal feeding operations.
The new regulation was issued in response to the industry’s victory in the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York in 2005, in which the court said EPA could not require growers to apply for permits merely because they have a “potential to discharge” pollutants to the waters of the U.S., the release explained.
EPA replaced that portion of the rule with a new provision that would require permits where there is a "proposal to discharge." The lawsuit will challenge the new requirement as not conforming to the Second Circuit’s ruling.
The lawsuit also challenges recent guidance documents, issued by EPA in the form of letters, that interpret the CAFO regulation. According to the release, the letters say a grower has a "proposal to discharge," and therefore must apply for a permit, if poultry housing has a ventilation fan that may potentially exhaust dust or other substances on the ground where rain water might wash them into a ditch leading to surface waters.
NCC and USPOULTRY will argue Congress did not intend to regulate these normal agricultural practices when it enacted the Clean Water Act.

Poultry groups join forces on safety, health

Three poultry industry organizations have partnered to form the Joint Poultry Industry Safety and Health Council to streamline efforts in the area of worker safety and health:
National Chicken Council

National Turkey Federation

U.S. Poultry & Egg Association
This council will essentially replace the existing NTF/NCC Safety and Health Committee by combining with the respective committee at USPOULTRY. The JPISHC will represent the entire poultry industry on issues relating to worker safety and health.
In a similar move, NCC, NTF and USPOULTRY have also formed the Joint Poultry Industry Human Resources Council. This council will essentially replace the existing NTF/NCC Human Resources Committee by combining with the respective committee at USPOULTRY. Arrangements for committee chairmanship and staff support from the industry associations is being handled in the same way for the JPIHRC as it will be for the JPISHC.

International Poultry Expo/Feed Expo attracts over 18,000

The 2009 International Poultry Expo/Feed Expo attracted more than 18,000 industry leaders from throughout the United States and around the world last week.
Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the American Feed Industry Association, it is the world’s largest poultry and feed event.The main attraction was the huge exhibit floor where 888 exhibiting companies displayed the latest equipment, supplies and services used in the production and processing of poultry, eggs and feed.
All segments of the industry were represented, from live production and processing to further processing and packaging.
“We are very pleased with this year’s Expo,” said newly elected USPOULTRY chairman Monty Henderson, George’s Inc., Springdale, Ark. “We are particularly gratified with the number of attendees and exhibitors, in light of the current economic conditions. And we saw enthusiastic participation in the education programs and other activities during the show,” he added.
In addition to the exhibits, the education programs keep industry management up to date on current issues and concerns. The Animal Agriculture Environmental Sustainability Summit focused on the challenges and solutions of environmental stewardship. One of the highlight of the summit was Bob Langert, McDonald’s Corporation, discussing his firm’s sustainability efforts in the restaurant industry.
The College Student Career Program drew almost 300 students from universities around the nation. Graduating students interview for jobs with industry and allied firms, in addition to complementing their studies by seeing the latest technology used in the modern poultry production.

Program set for 2009 Environmental Management Seminar

The 2009 Environmental Management Seminar, sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Poultry & Egg Institute, will be held March 4-5, at the Doubletree Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.
“The poultry industry has a history of responsible environmental stewardship,” said program committee chairman Jamie Burr, Tyson Foods, Springdale, Ark. “But it is important that we continue our good record. The planning committee has developed an agenda that identifies the challenges of environmental management and sustainability, and it will examine the latest technologies and management techniques to meet those challenges,” he added.
The program will include a “Federal Policy and Regulatory Update from the New Administration,” “Poultry House Air Emissions,” the “Latest Technology for Turning Waste into Fuel,” and a mini-symposium on “Water Quality,” among other topics.

Clean Water Awards competition deadline extended

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has extended the deadline for submitting applications for the 2009 Clean Water Awards until February 11, 2009.
The award recognizes outstanding water treatment plant performance in the poultry production industry. The winners will be announced at USPOULTRY’s Environmental Management Seminar in Nashville, Tenn., March 3 and 4, 2009.
There are two categories for the award: one for full treatment facilities (those that fully reclaim their wastewater prior to discharge into a receiving water or final land application system) and one for pretreatment facilities (those that discharge pretreated effluent to publicly-owned full treatment facilities).
Any USPOULTRY member company is eligible to submit one nominee in each category. Facilities which have previously won the award may not be re-nominated for five years. An evaluation committee, which is comprised of university personnel, industry engineers and managers, and state regulatory officials, will review the applications package and select two semifinalist facilities in each category.
The review committee will then visit the semifinalist facilities to select the award recipients.Award recipients will receive a trophy, be profiled on the USPOULTRY web site, and receive assistance from the association in publicizing the award on a local, regional, and national level.