Recently, I was fortunate to attend the Georgia Poultry Federation's annual Night of Knights, a celebration of the state's largest agricultural commodity. Night of Knights was attended by more than 2,000 Poultry Federation members, supporters and leaders.
As I looked around the room, I was reminded of the fact that so much of what Gainesville and Northeast Georgia has become can be directly attributed to the poultry industry. And while the industry continues to face many challenges, such as uncertain export markets, variable input prices and environmental issues, the folks in that room are looking ahead to a bright future.
And when you consider that poultry is the No. 1 agricultural commodity in Georgia, representing 46 percent of the state's farm gate income in 2010, there is good reason for optimism.
When you break it down by the numbers, the value of poultry products truly is impressive. In 2009, poultry farm gate value was more than $5 billion, with broilers at $4.4 billion, eggs at $572 million and breeders at $188 million.
Georgia led all states in broiler production with over 8.6 billion pounds produced. Here in Hall County, poultry and egg farm gate value totaled over $222 million, making us the No. 6 county in the state in poultry production.
Not only are the production numbers impressive, but the impact that the poultry industry has on Gainesville, Hall County and all of Northeast Georgia in terms of jobs, related businesses and overall economic impact is equally impressive.
Nationwide, Americans continue to enjoy chicken as a major part of a healthy diet. America's taste for chicken continues to grow and diversify, according to survey data released by the National Chicken Council.
American consumers eat chicken an average of five times in a two-week period, according to the nationwide survey conducted by PKS Research Partners of Edison, NJ. Annual chicken consumption reached a high of 84.7 pounds per capita in 2005, compared to 61.5 pounds in 1990 and 40.3 pounds in 1970.
When you consider the economic contributions made by the poultry industry and America's love of chicken, it's only fitting that we all join in the celebration of September as National Chicken Month.
For over 20 years, chicken producers and grocery retailers have come together to offer additional promotions, partner with brands that are a great complement to chicken and showcase delicious recipes.
National Chicken Month is sponsored by National Chicken Council of Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association of Tucker. This year's theme is "Taste the Possibilities."
For more information on National Chicken Month including recipes and cooking tips, visit the website.
Billy Skaggs is agriculture agent and county extension coordinator for the UGA Cooperative Extension in Hall County. You can contact him at 770-535-8293 770-535-8293 . His column appears biweekly on Thursday's Business page and at gainesvilletimes.com.