FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2002
Contact: Mark Anthony, ODA Communications, 614-752-9817

Avian Influenza: Economic Threat to Ohio’s Poultry Industry

The State of Ohio’s precautions to prevent the spread of avian influenza into Ohio are aimed at protecting a vital segment of the state’s agriculture industry.

Avian influenza, a highly contagious viral disease, is generally not harmful to humans but could devastate the state’s poultry production. A large-scale outbreak here could result in serious economic ramifications for the state as a whole because of the interdependency of poultry production and other business enterprises involving veterinary medicine, grain production, feed manufacturing, transportation, food processing and sales, and others, according to Ohio Agriculture Director Fred L. Dailey. 

Below are production and value figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the poultry industry in Ohio, followed by the year the statistics cover.

·         Poultry ranks fifth among agriculture industry segments Ohio, bringing more than $468 million in farm receipts per year (not counting processing and retailing), ranking behind milk production but ahead of cattle and calf production, and hog and pig production. From this measurement, economists project the total economic impact of Ohio’s poultry industry to be nearly $3.3 billion per year. (2000)

·         Ohio ranks behind only Iowa in total egg production, with 30 million layers producing 7.9 billion eggs a year. (2001)

·         Ohio generates 9.2% of total eggs produced in the United States. (2001)

·         Total value of eggs produced in the state exceeds $323 million. (2001)

·         Ohio ranks 18th in broiler production, with more than 40 million broilers valued at more than $82 million. (2001)

·         Ohio ranks 11th in turkey production, with 4.8 million turkeys valued at $63.5 million. (2001)

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