2025 marks the 100th volume of the Agricultural Review, the free newspaper published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. To celebrate, we’re taking a journey back in time. We’re digging out some old papers, dusting off their pages and looking back at what has happened in agriculture in the last 99 years. Each month, we’ll share an article, recipe or other piece of content “From the Archives” of the Ag Review. We can’t wait to see what we find!
In our 2025 content series, #DiscoveringNCAgriculture, we’re highlighting 12 commodities grown, or raised, in our state. Poultry is the focus for the month of April.
In 1999, then-Gov. Jim Hunt had the same idea to highlight the state’s poultry industry in April. According to an article in the April 1999 issue of the Agricultural Review, Hunt signed a proclamation naming April as North Carolina Poultry Month.
At the time, N.C. was ranked No. 1 in the nation in turkey production – producing 20% of the nation’s turkeys. Hunt wanted to celebrate the state’s diverse poultry industry and the more than 4,000 farm families who made it was it was.
Then-Agriculture Commissioner Jim Graham said poultry was critical for the state’s economy.
N.C.’s poultry industry continues to rank high in the country. As of 2023, N.C. ranks No. 1 in poultry and egg cash receipts; No. 2 in turkey production; No. 4 in broilers; and No. 8 in eggs.
Here’s the full article from April 1999:
April proclaimed as Poultry Month
April has been named North Carolina Poultry Month by Gov. Jim Hunt, recognizing the state as the most diversified poultry producer in the Nation.
N.C. is ranked number one in the nation in terms of turkey production. Each week up to a million turkeys are produced. In 1997, N.C. turkey production generated 53.5 million head with a farm value of $528 million dollars.
Twenty percent of the nation’s turkeys are produced in N.C. The state is also ranked fourth in the country for commercial broilers, marketing more than 2.5 million each day, averaging 665 million a year with a farm value of $1.3 billion and ninth in hatching and commercial eggs, producing 2,788 million at a farm value of $203 million. Nearly 25 percent of the nation’s hatching eggs come from Tar Heel farms. Combined, poultry products average a farm value of more than $2 billion each year, making poultry the state’s largest commodity.
Each year more than 4,000 N.C. farm families produce $2.2 billion worth of poultry food products, and more than 22,000 individuals work in hatcheries, feed mills, poultry processing plants and allied industry.
“Poultry bolsters our state’s economy, and those who are a part of the industry are hardworking, creative and innovative in providing wholesome, nutritious and affordable poultry food products to North Carolina families and other consumers across America and the world,” said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Jim Graham. “Be sure to support the N.C. poultry industry this month.”