The American poultry industry is a $470 billion mega-industry employing over 1.814 million people and generating $32.9 billion in government revenue. We know this because we just completed an economic impact study of the industry and its components. Of this, the chicken industry provides 1,339,900 jobs, the turkey industry provides 308,400 jobs, and the egg industry provides 128,000 jobs.
The poultry industry experienced tremendous productivity growth during the past two years, something which has been mirrored across the entire American food production and processing industry. The food industry has helped the economy grow, while at the same time benefitting both workers and consumers.
Economic analysis like this one, are an excellent way of communicating an industry’s importance. This helps government officials, the media and consumers better understand how an industry works, and where products are produced. They also give industries a tool to help with marketing, contracting, government affairs, even transportation planning. Companies use them to identify potential new customers and suppliers, to better understand competitor’s operations, and to help plan their own production processes.
In the competitive economy that all food processors work in, even small changes matter and it is incumbent on firms or trade associations to take advantage of all of the tools at their disposal.