Poultry & Egg Production Industry Profile

Companies in this industry breed, hatch, and raise poultry for meat or egg production. Major companies include Foster Farms, Perdue Farms, and Tyson Foods (all based in the US) as well as Bachoco (Mexico). BRF and JBS (both based in Brazil), Charoen Pokphand Foods (Thailand), and New Hope Liuhe and Wen's Food Group (both based in China).

The global poultry consumption is forecast to reach 2.5% to 3% in 2024, according to the latest animal protein report by RaboResearch. The countries with highest poultry consumption include China, the US, Brazil, Russia, and Mexico, according to World Population Review. Demand is growing due to an increasing population, higher incomes, and urbanization.

The US poultry and egg production industry includes about 168,000 farms. US farmers sold about $76.5 billion of poultry and eggs during 2022, according to the USDA Census of Agriculture.

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.

Because of the products' perishability, international trade in live poultry and eggs is limited. US exports of live poultry ...