The poultry sector, one of the largest in the U.S. agriculture industry, is dominated by broiler production, or chickens that are specifically raised for meat. Sales in the sector were $76.8 billion, according to the latest data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and broilers accounted for 67% of those sales.
Arkansas typically ranks among the top three states in the country for broiler production. The Natural State produces about 7 billion pounds of broiler meat annually. Poultry, along with egg production, generates $6.7 billion in cash receipts in the state, the highest of any sub-sector within the industry, according to The Poultry Federation.
Poultry contributes almost 50% of the state’s total cash receipts within its $21 billion agriculture sector, the state’s largest…