Tornadoes Wipe Out 25% of Alabama Poultry Industry

MONTGOMERY, Ala.Preliminary reports from Alabama agriculture officials estimate 25 percent of the states poultry processing facilities were destroyed or severely damaged by the tornadoes that ripped through northern Alabama on April 27.

More than 200 poultry houses were destroyed another 180 damaged by the storms, resulting in a loss of nearly 5 million chickens. Alabama is the third largest chicken producer in the United States, and officials said the extensive agriculture infrastructure damage will impact the states multi-billion-dollar poultry industry.

 We have deployed our field inspectors to the hard hit areas of North Alabama to assist state emergency management efforts," said Commissioner John McMillan of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries. Thousands of chickens have been lost in the tornados, and these numbers could grow as we continue to assess the damage. Power outages and loss of drinking water could worsen an already critical situation for poultry producers and meat processors."