The U.S. chicken industry is poised to set production records by the end of 2017, and based on the upward momentum in egg sets and chick placements, it’s hard to envision 2018 not exhibiting further production gains.
Barring a disruptive event, 2018 should be another Goldilocks year for chicken producers/processors. “Not too hot, not too cold” characterizes chicken market conditions for 2017 with indicators pointing to a repeat situation in the New Year.
Companies are working to make more consumers are aware of the attributes that make their products stand out - use of antibiotics, diet, processing methods. The hope is that, when consumers think about chicken, they think "premium."
I write this because in April of this year, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on a lawsuit environmental groups filed against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the agency finalized a rule that provided a narrow exemption for reporting the low-level emission of ammonia from poultry houses under CERCLA and EPCRA.