Local senators join poultry farmers in asking for federal aid

GEORGETOWN, Del. – Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. took part in sending a letter to Senate – urging them to give more funding to chicken farmers here on the Delmarva peninsula.  “Our chicken community has felt a lot of the same impact, but has not received the funding that may have been available to other parts of agriculture – and other businesses for that matter,” said executive director of DPI Holly Porter.

Porter says chicken farmers did not receive any funding through federal stimulus funding during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We often talk about the three legged stool and that they all need each other and they all work together. When the chicken companies started to feel the impacts – whether that was through the market, absenteeism, and so forth – they had to make adjustments which would then trickle down to the farmers,” said Porter.

Porter says that local Senators are supporting the request for aid. “We’re very appreciative that all six of the senators in our Delmarva region recognize the importance of the chicken community and how important it is to our economy,” said Porter.

DPI tells 47ABC that the financial impact that poultry farmers are feeling during the pandemic trickles into the local economy as a whole. “The wholesale value of our chicken here on Delmarva is three point five billion. So you add that into our economic multipliers that go along with it – that has a huge impact to our economy here on Delmarva,” said Porter.

Porter tells 47ABC that she hopes to see legislative language specifically mentioning aid for poultry farmers soon. In the meantime – DPI says they’re working with Congress to reach that goal – and do community outreach with local farmers.