Indiana’s Poultry Industry Continues to Seek New Export Opportunities for 2025 and Beyond
When it comes to poultry, Indiana is among the top producers in the nation. That’s why ag leaders are continuing to find new markets for poultry around the world to raise its value back here at home.
Indiana is the number one producer of duck in the U.S., number three for egg production, and number four for turkey production. The state’s two main duck producers, Maple Leaf Farms and Culver Duck, have seen a great deal of success because of the demand for duck in Asia, Canada, Mexico and other foreign markets.
Becky Joniskan, President of the Indiana State Poultry Association, says the worldwide demand for Indiana poultry products are growing because more people around the world have the money to spend.
“As the middle class continues to really grow in Asia, in the Middle East, and even in Africa, [poultry products are] one of the first areas they look where they might spend that extra couple of dollars on protein,” according to Joniskan. Poultry and eggs are very flexible and culturally adaptive sources of protein, so those markets are very much out there and very much growing.”
She says another area for export growth for Indiana poultry is through hotels and restaurants around the world.
“They are a very significant market—they are larger in bulk and easier to sell to move more product that way,” she says. “It’s a fantastic way to introduce new products into a country.”
Joniskan was recently in Washington, D.C. for the Winter Meeting for the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) to discuss how a shift in trade policies under a new administration could impact the poultry and egg industries in 2025 and beyond.
“We have lots of great support with the National Turkey Federation, United Egg Producers, National Chicken Council, and other agricultural organizations that are out there making sure people are aware how policies affect folks on the ground in Indiana who are producing food for the nation,” says Joniskan. “Part of being out there in Washington this week was meeting with representatives from those national organizations who not also participate in these conversations, but they’re also representing Indiana’s poultry and egg producers when meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.”
Indiana is the seventh largest ag exporting state in the U.S., with $7.4 billion worth of ag products being shipped outside the U.S. in 2022. Indiana’s poultry and egg sectors are responsible for as much as $15.07 billion in total economic activity throughout the state supporting more than 49,000 jobs in 2022.
For more information about the Indiana State Poultry Association, visit INPoultry.com.
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