The Growth and Localization of the United States Broiler Chicken Industry

THE GROWTH AND LOCALIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES BROILER CHICKEN INDUSTRY Jerry Dennis Lord* It was not until 1934 that the United States Department of Agriculture first enumerated broiler chicken production separately from other chickens sold for meat. (1 ) Between 1934 and 1968 United States production increased from 34 million to 2,599 million broilers. (2) The objectives of this paper are to suggest some of the factors which have contributed to the large increment in the consumption of chicken meat and the corresponding growth of the broiler industiy, to examine changes in the spatial distribution of production, and to assess some of the determinants of the locational pattern of the industry. CONSUMPTION FACTORS. An increase in the consumption of a product normally is the result of population increments and/or increases in the rate, per capita, at which it is consumed. Population increments in the United States since the 1930's have not been of sufficient magnitude to account for the large increase in the consumption of broilers. Between 1939 and 1964 United States population increased by 46 percent whereas the number of chickens sold increased by slightly more than 600 percent. (3 ) Therefore, it is clear that the major portion of the increase in the total consumption of broilers has resulted from a large increase in per capita consumption. Per capita consumptions of chicken and other types of meat since 1910 are indicated in Table 1. Per capita consumption of chicken meat increased from 15.5 pounds in 1910 to 37.1 pounds in 1968. No other type of meat has experienced a comparable per capita increase. Per capita consumption of chicken increased by 140 percent during the period, compared to an increase of 46 percent for beef and veal. Pork consumption increased only slightly whereas the consumption of lamb and mutton actually declined. A number of factors appear to have influenced the expansion in consumption of chickens since 1930. Larger incomes have made chicken meat more readily available to millions of United States households (Table 2). During the 1920's and 1930's chicken meat was considered a delicacy. Chicken was available primarily on a seasonal basis, principally during the summer months as a result of the "spring hatch." The levels of disposable income in the 1920's and 1930's, along with the periodic shortages of chicken meat and its price level in relation to red meats, helped to contribute to its relatively small volume of consumption. *Dr. Lord is assistant professor of geography at University of North Carolina, Charlotte. The paper was accepted for publication in October 1970. 30Southeastern Geographer TABLE 1 PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF CHICKEN AND OTHER MEATS 1910-1968 (pounds ) Year______Chicken Beef and Veal_____Pork_____Lamb and Mutton 191015.578.062.06.0 191514.462.067.06.0 192013.767.064.05.0 192514.368.067.05.0 193015.755.067.07.0 193513.152.048.07.0 194014.162.373.56.6 194217.769.463.77.2 194420.468.079.56.7 194619.471.675.86.7 194818.372.667.85.1 195020.671.469.24.0 195222.169.472.44.2 195422.890.160.04.6 195624.494.967.44.4 195828.187.260.24.2 196028.091.164.94.8 196229.994.363.55.2 196431.0105.065.34.2 196636.0108.558.04.0 1968________37T_________113.8__________66^0____________2J>________ Source: The Poultry and Egg Situation, June 1969, p. 20; January 1960, p. 36; and May 1957, p. 29. Probably the single most important factor which has affected the increase in per capita consumption has been the price of chicken meat in relation to the price of red meat (Table 3). The 1935 retail price levels for chicken and beef were similar. Since 1950 the prices of these two meats have exhibited divergent trends. As is true for many items, beef prices have generally increased during the last few decades. However, chicken prices generally have declined since 1950, decreasing from an average of 57.0 cents per pound in 1950 to 39.0 cents in 1965. This price situation has helped to make the broiler a popular food item in comparison to other, more expensive meats. Should the trend toward an increasingly...