Poultry & Egg Production Industry Profile

Companies in this industry breed, hatch, and raise poultry for meat or egg production. Major companies include Cal-Maine Foods, Perdue Farms, Sanderson Farms, and Tyson (all based in the US) as well as JBS and BRF (Brazil), Charoen Pokphand Foods (Thailand), and Guangdong Wen's Food Group (China).

Worldwide poultry and egg production generates some $220 billion in annual revenue. Some 20 billion live chickens are produced worldwide each year, with highest production in China, the US, and Indonesia. The industry is growing due to an increasing global population, higher incomes, and urbanization.

The US poultry and egg production industry includes about 140,000 farms with combined annual revenue of about $43 billion.

The industry doesn't include slaughter, processing, or packing operations. Poultry processing is covered in the Poultry Product Manufacturing profile.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by food prices and consumption trends. The profitability of individual farms depends on efficient operations and anticipating market demand. Large companies have advantages in vertically integrated operations and economies of scale. Small operations can compete effectively by specializing in certain breeds, supplying local markets, or raising humanely treated or hormone-free animals. The US industry is concentrated: the top 14% of companies account for about 75% of revenue.

US exports of live poultry and eggs mainly go to Canada and Mexico. Imports come primarily from Canada. Exports account for about 2% of US production. Imports account for less than 1% ...