The University of Delaware
Poultry Health System
A Partnership with the Poultry and Allied Industries
Delmarva's Poultry Industry: An Agricultural Cornerstone
The poultry industry is the mainstay of agriculture on the Delmarva Peninsula, accounting for nearly 70% of the agricultural income in this region. Each year about 600 million broiler chickens are produced on Delmarva with a total economic value of nearly $2 billion. Farmers in the region also benefit economically, producing more than 80 million bushels of corn and soybeans annually as feed for this vitally important, global agribusiness. Others in the community benefit as well, because seven jobs in other employment sectors are created for each of the 16,000 jobs in the poultry industry.Facts About Delmarva's
Broiler Industry
Annual Broiler/Roaster/Cornish Production 571,141,000
Total Pounds Produced 3,331,005,000
Poultry Growers and Company Employees 15,932
Number of Broiler/Roaster/Cornish Houses 5,430
Bushels of Corn used for Feed 76,435,000
Bushels of Soybean used for Feed 30,309,000
Wholesale Value of Broilers/Roasters/Cornish $1,652,309,000
Each job in the poultry processing industry creates 7.2
jobs elsewhere For the latest statistics on the poultry industry, visit the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. website.
