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December 4, 2009

Chicken capital — 12/07/09

Poultry expected to produce more farm income than horses

Anonymous The Daily Independent Fri Dec 04, 2009, 03:36 PM EST

Kentucky agricultural income is expected to drop by almost a half billion dollars in 2009 after enjoying a record year in 2008.

While the final numbers won’t be known until after the first of the year, University of Kentucky ag economist Craig Infanger predicted Thursday that Kentucky agriculture will produce about $4.3 billion in cash receipts in 2009, down from a historic high of $4.8 billion in 2008. In light of the global recession, that decline is not particularly surprising. With virtually every other segment of the economy experiencing a down year, it would be naive to expect Kentucky farmers to somehow escape the tough economic times.

Nevertheless, there is one aspect of the report UK ag economists presented at the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s annual convention Thursday that we find particularly bothersome.

For the first time ever, UK ag economist Lee Meyer says the value of poultry production in Kentucky is on track to actually exceed income from the equine sector. Think of that. There’s a sharp contrast between raising chickens and raising horses.

For the most part, chickens in Kentucky — and virtually every other state — are raised in large barns where literally thousands are crammed together with little room to move around. In addition, the tons of waste they produce can create significant environmental problems.

Contrast the sight of thousands of chickens crammed into a single barn with the beauty of young colts grazing in a large pasture on a Kentucky horse farm. Compared to raising champion thoroughbreds, chicken farming is for the birds.

Of course, horse breeders have been predicting for years that Kentucky is losing its place as the world’s leading birthplace of champion horses. UK ag economist Kenny Burdine supported that claim by saying total equine receipts in the state are likely to fall around 25 percent this year. Brudine blames that drop on a weak economy, but the equine industry contends the inability of racetracks in Kentucky to offer the purses to compete with tracks in other states for top horses is discouraging breeding in the state. That’s one of the arguments the horse industry makes for slot machines at tracks.

We continue to think slot machines at race tracks should require a vote of the people, but if it comes down to being known for breeding horses or raising chickens, the choice should be obvious. While we appreciate a good piece of chicken as much as anyone and recognize that Kentucky Fried Chicken — now known as KFC — helped spread the state’s name throughout the world, we don’t want to be the chicken capital of the world.

While the final numbers won’t be known until after the first of the year, University of Kentucky ag economist Craig Infanger predicted Thursday that Kentucky agriculture will produce about $4.3 billion in cash receipts in 2009, down from a historic high of $4.8 billion in 2008. In light of the global recession, that decline is not particularly surprising. With virtually every other segment of the economy experiencing a down year, it would be naive to expect Kentucky farmers to somehow escape the tough economic times.

Nevertheless, there is one aspect of the report UK ag economists presented at the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s annual convention Thursday that we find particularly bothersome.

For the first time ever, UK ag economist Lee Meyer says the value of poultry production in Kentucky is on track to actually exceed income from the equine sector. Think of that. There’s a sharp contrast between raising chickens and raising horses.

For the most part, chickens in Kentucky — and virtually every other state — are raised in large barns where literally thousands are crammed together with little room to move around. In addition, the tons of waste they produce can create significant environmental problems.

Contrast the sight of thousands of chickens crammed into a single barn with the beauty of young colts grazing in a large pasture on a Kentucky horse farm. Compared to raising champion thoroughbreds, chicken farming is for the birds.

Of course, horse breeders have been predicting for years that Kentucky is losing its place as the world’s leading birthplace of champion horses. UK ag economist Kenny Burdine supported that claim by saying total equine receipts in the state are likely to fall around 25 percent this year. Brudine blames that drop on a weak economy, but the equine industry contends the inability of racetracks in Kentucky to offer the purses to compete with tracks in other states for top horses is discouraging breeding in the state. That’s one of the arguments the horse industry makes for slot machines at tracks.

We continue to think slot machines at race tracks should require a vote of the people, but if it comes down to being known for breeding horses or raising chickens, the choice should be obvious. While we appreciate a good piece of chicken as much as anyone and recognize that Kentucky Fried Chicken — now known as KFC — helped spread the state’s name throughout the world, we don’t want to be the chicken capital of the world.

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Poultry expected to produce more farm income than horses

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