Chicken Industry, A Mainstay of Delmarva's Economy, Shows Sensible Growth
Delmarva's chicken industry was a force for stability in 2016, keeping its bird capacity level and even slightly reducing the number of chicken houses in operation, while maintaining the total chicken produced and supporting the region's crop family farms with nearly $1 billion spent on feed ingredients. Delmarva's poultry industry used 85.4 million bushels of corn, 35.5 million bushels of soybeans and 1.7 million bushels of wheat last year.
Payments by chicken companies to contract growers on family farms rose 6 percent in 2016, and wages earned by the 14,500 people directly employed by the region's five chicken companies also rose, by 7.7 percent, to $663 million.
"Nearly every business on Delmarva – including small businesses – is positively affected by the chicken industry," said Bill Satterfield, DPI's executive director. "These numbers reinforce just how important the chicken industry is to the region, and they show the industry growing at a calm, sustainable pace."
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Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. Comments on Johns Hopkins University "Survey of Maryland Voters" on Eastern Shore Chicken Industry
An October 2016 on-line survey about the Maryland Eastern Shore chicken industry conducted for Johns Hopkins University produces "results" that have little legitimacy. Given the long-time hostility of Johns Hopkins University to the chicken industry, the validity of these "survey" results easily can be questioned.
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DPI Offers College Scholarships
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. has opened the application period for its 2017 College Scholarship Program. Applications are being accepted for undergraduate and graduate scholarships that are available in the amount of $1,500 or more.
Undergraduate applicants must be a Delmarva resident and a student in good standing at any accredited, degree-granting institution in the United States or in the case of graduating high school seniors, accepted to an accredited, degree-granting institution within the United States. Individuals must have an academic major in a subject area relevant to Delmarva's chicken industry and be planning a career in a segment of this industry. An official transcript must accompany each application.
Graduate student applicants must meet the above criteria, with the exception of Delmarva residency. In addition, the individual must be engaged in research that could positively benefit Delmarva's chicken industry.
Although an applicant is not required to have a family member or a family business that is a member of DPI, membership in DPI could be a deciding factor when applicants are otherwise evenly matched. Previous recipients, if still eligible, may reapply.
Applications must be completed and received at the following address on or before 4:30 p.m. on April 3, 2017: DPI College Scholarship Program, 16686 County Seat Highway, Georgetown, DE 19947-4881.
For more information and application forms, click here.
About DPI
DPI is the nonprofit trade association working for the continued progress of the meat chicken industry in Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
In existence since 1948, DPI's members include more than 1,000 farm families raising chickens, five companies producing birds on Delmarva, and hundreds of chicken company employees, hundreds of allied industry suppliers of products and services, and Delmarva-based, non-chicken businesses that recognize the important work DPI does to keep the local chicken industry strong.
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.
16686 County Seat Hwy.
Georgetown, DE 19947-4881
(302) 856-9037
