ABSTRACT

Livestock and poultry production involves the conversion of raw feeds such as grass into valuable products such as meat, milk, and eggs to meet daily human consumption. In the United States, the total amount of chickens consumed increased by 27.5% from 1992 to 2001. The chicken consumption per capita is projected to grow from 78 pounds in 1992 to 92 pounds in 2004 (Fig. 1). The US Department of Agriculture forecasted US agricultural exports for fiscal year 2003 at $57.5 billion, a $4 billion increase over the expected $53.5 billion for fiscal year 2002. Export sales at this level would be the highest since 1997, only $2.3 billion below the all-time record of $59.9 billion in 1996.