GOVERNOR O’MALLEY MEETS WITH POULTRY GROWERS AND COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES

Roundtable Discussion Focuses on Environmental Issues and Innovative Technologies

ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 20, 2010) –  Governor Martin O’Malley, joined by Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance,  today met with over 20 chicken growers and poultry company representatives at a family poultry farm in Berlin, Maryland for an open roundtable discussion about the issues facing the industry and ways to address them.  Key among the points of discussion was environmental regulation, the need for certainty and equity in the rules in order to conduct profitable businesses, and the desire to pursue and test new technologies to move the industry forward.

“I want to thank the growers and company representatives for meeting for a very positive discussion about how we can strengthen our poultry industry, strengthen agriculture, and protect farming jobs.” said Governor O’Malley.  “The poultry industry is critically important to Maryland. It provides thousands of jobs and businesses, and it is the lifeblood of the Eastern Shore economies and lifestyle.  We are fighting to maintain and expand these jobs, preserve farmland and strengthen our family-owned farms and businesses.  We will continue to address the concerns raised in our meeting today and pursue some of the very good ideas brought forward today. Farmers, including poultry farmers are leaders in soil and water conservation as shown on our BayStat Website. Agriculture, along with wastewater treatment plant upgrades, are the two Bay restoration sectors that are moving ahead and reaching our 2-year milestones while septic systems and stormwater impacts are not.  I congratulate and thank all of our farmers for their accomplishments.”

The poultry industry is Maryland’s leading agricultural sector, accounting for 40 percent of farm income in 2009. The poultry industry in Maryland accounts for about 40% of all farm income or nearly $800 million in 2008 and about 600,000 acres or about 60% of grain grown in the State is used for chicken feed.  According to the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. poultry companies operating on the Delmarva Peninsula employ 14,700 people. There are over 1,660 family farms that raise chickens in association with the five poultry integrators operating on the Delmarva Peninsula.

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