NCSU Poultry Science Department Head Weighs in on the Future of Poultry

For this week’s blog, we interviewed Dr. Sam Pardue, head of the Poultry Science Department at NC State University. Dr. Pardue shared with us his insights on the challenges faced by the modern poultry industry and how academia might be able to help meet those challenges now and in the future.

BRI Blog: What do you see are the challenges for the poultry industry?

First, increasing output under high cost pressure. By 2030 we have to double the amount of food we produce for an ever growing world population, and poultry is at the top of the list as a protein source given its low cost and high quality relative to other livestock such as swine and cattle. At the same time, the industry will face increasing pressure on cost. According to the agricultural statistics firm Agristats, feed costs have increased from 51% of farmers’ input costs in 2000 to 62% in 2009 and the costs continue to rise as a result of increasing demand for feedstuffs.

Second, given this situation, there is going to be an increased pressure to use non-traditional feedstuffs to decrease costs. As conventional feedstuffs such as corn and soybean increase in price, other alternative feedstuffs will be used and enzymes will play an increasingly important role to maximize the nutritional value of these feedstuffs. Also, sooner or later producers will have to rethink the formula that least cost formulation equals maximal profit, and that finding creative ways to extend their brands to the grocer’s shelves can also maximize profit.

Third, poultry companies will have to make greater effort on their public relations. The recent salmonella outbreak is just one example of how a few bad players can harm an entire industry. Not so long ago events like this caused bankruptcies in the beef industry. Producers will need to invest in more traceability in their supply chains while also educating consumers that organic farming is not the answer to meet the global demands for poultry production. Nowadays, consumers are not only interested about price, but also on the quality and safety of the products they consume. The industry cannot close their doors to more alternatives, but it also has to tell consumers why their products are safe.

BRI Blog: What do you see is the role of academia given these challenges?

We have to convince the best and brightest students that there is a career in agriculture and that they could have a fulfilling experience in the industry. However, as a result of shrinking budgets and smaller class sizes, few of our fellow academic units have been able to survive as independent departments. In the 1960s there were forty independent departments of poultry science in the US, now there are only six. In the past, every industrial farm complex had a scientist on staff; now because of integration and better communications, there are fewer of those positions in these large companies. Regardless of industry trends, it is the responsibility of academia to train future industry leaders and to do research that will drive innovation in the future of the industry.