Gov. Eric Holcomb, Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb, and the Indiana State Poultry Association, recently recognized the generosity of Indiana’s poultry producers at the 77th annual Governor’s Poultry Presentation at the Indiana Statehouse.
For decades, Indiana’s poultry producers have been working to address food insecurity in local communities by providing protein to food banks across the state.
Through donations made by producers over the past year, Indiana food banks and community organizations were able to offer 250,000 pounds of nutrient-rich duck, turkey, and chicken meat to Hoosiers in need. Indiana chicken egg producers supplied food banks with one million dozen eggs, and duck producers donated upwards of 50,000 dozen eggs this year as well.
Beyond the donation of poultry and eggs, poultry companies provided in excess of $120,000 in direct contributions to various not-for-profit and charitable organizations in their communities.
The strength of Indiana’s poultry sector was also recognized during the ceremony as Indiana is one of the top poultry-producing states in the country. According to the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service, Indiana ranks Number 1 in duck production, Number 3 in egg production, Number 4 in turkey production, and is home to high-quality broiler chicken production as well.
Poultry farming and processing is a substantial economic driver for the state contributing more than $18.34 billion in total economic activity. The sector directly employs 12,792, and it supports an additional 35,719 jobs in allied industries and services across the state according to according to the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.
The Governor’s Poultry Presentation ceremony marks an annual tradition that dates back to the late 1940s. Organized by ISPA, one of the oldest poultry organizations in the nation, it was designed to celebrate the strength and generosity of Indiana’s poultry industry, as well as the annual donations made by its members, who are responsible for more than 95% of the chicken, duck, turkey, and eggs produced in Indiana.
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