Georgie Cartanza presented a guest lecture about the Delamarva poultry industry on September 10th, 2018. From this, the class learned about the importance of poultry production in this area, as well as a synopsis of how the process works. One interesting fact that she shared with us was how chicken was considered a luxury meat until after WWI. Since then, poultry companies adopting a vertical integration system has helped make the protein more widely accessible and affordable. When a company is vertically integrated, it means that they own several (if not all) of the production levels. Taking Purdue as an example, they would essentially control the hatchery up to the packaging and transportation. Vertical integration is key when it comes to the poultry industry because it can ensure that consumers are getting a safe, affordable product.
In addition to partaking in the VI system, Delaware is a leader when it comes to producing chickens. Sussex County is the number one broiler producing county in the entire country. Not only is agriculture our states first ranking industry, poultry accounts for 70% of that figure. Although Delaware is small, the poultry industry proves that the first state is a leader when it comes to agriculture.