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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Poultry firms squeezed by grain prices, exec says

Rising prices for feed grains are forcing chicken and turkey companies to cut production and jobs, a leading poultry executive told the Senate Agriculture Committee this week.

“Companies can no longer withstand the storm,” said Mike Welch, president of Harrison Poultry in Bethlehem, Ga., and former president of the National Chicken Council. “They are trimming their production plans, which means growers will receive fewer chicks to grow to market-ready broilers, and processing plant work shifts are being reduced or even eliminated.”

"Welch noted that one company had to eliminate a second shift, and 300 jobs with it, while another company announced recently that it is cutting over 200 jobs due to the cost of feed," reports Rita Jane Gabbett of MeatingPlace.com. "A third company was forced to file for bankruptcy and sell its assets to another firm, he said." (Read more; subscription may be required)

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