In the year 2021, US and China continued to be the largest chicken producers worldwide and between them they represented a third of global poultry production.
The US producers continue to benefit from competitive production structures, extensive domestic feed resources and high price competitiveness thanks to advancements in poultry genetics. Meanwhile, steady growth in China’s chicken output has been supported by large investments in production capacities, process optimisation and diversification, in line with the country’s goal for more integrated food production and improved food security.
Brazil, in addition to being the third largest producer of poultry worldwide, is also the largest poultry exporter. In 2021, white meat exports accounted for almost two-thirds of Brazil’s production value.
US: Broiler production will continue to grow, but producers continue to deal with obstacles
In 2021, poultry production in the United States increased 1.7%, as producers sought to meet growing domestic and foreign demand for chicken meat. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), broiler production is expected to grow in 2024 amid tightening global supply and strong demand. However, as US broiler exports are largely destined for price-sensitive markets, rising chicken prices will reduce the price competitiveness of US broilers. Additionally, declining inventories of broiler-type laying chickens, weak hatchery data and lower average weights since the start of 2022 are some of the major constraints to the stronger short-term output growth.
While the 2022 outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the US has had a substantial negative impact on table-egg layer and turkey flocks, the impact on broiler production has been limited. The HPAI impact on chicken exports has also been minimal, as restrictions by trade partners were limited to a county or state level, rather than national.
Furthermore, taking into account the growing trend in sustainable practices and consumer concerns about animal welfare and food safety, producers have had to adopt more sustainable production approaches. In fact, since 2022, more than 200 commercial buyers in the U.S. and Canada have signed up to the 2024-2026 “Better Chicken Commitment”, an initiative that requires poultry suppliers to improve growing conditions for poultry using more spacious and favorable environments, breeding of slow-growing breeds and humane slaughter techniques.
Some percentages
For the period between 2020 and 2023 there was a growth of 2.97% in the tons produced for poultry farming for the US; while for China it was 1.90% and for Brazil it was 6.43%; however, China still remains the largest chicken producer in the world followed by the US.
Sources: Available upon request.