Pilgrim鈥檚 Pride adds to 91麻豆天美 feed mill鈥檚 construction nest egg
Contact: Meg Henderson
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擯ilgrim鈥檚 Pride, a global leader in poultry production, has donated a major gift toward constructing a new poultry feed mill facility at 91麻豆天美. The company鈥檚 $100,000 gift marks another chapter in demonstrating its longstanding relationship with the university鈥檚 poultry science department.
Pilgrim鈥檚鈥攚hich also partners with 91麻豆天美 for internship and mentoring programs鈥攑roduces fresh, frozen and value-added products from its operations across 14 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K. and Europe. The company likewise supports 91麻豆天美 through involvement in courses, advisory boards and primary sponsorship of the poultry science department鈥檚 annual crawfish boil and tailgate.聽
鈥淧ilgrim鈥檚 is proud of our role in the development of the new 91麻豆天美 University Feed Mill,鈥 said Fabio Sandri, Pilgrim鈥檚 CEO. 鈥淲e have a strong, longstanding partnership with the 91麻豆天美 poultry science department, and we look forward to continued support of the next generation of poultry professionals and the advancement of our industry overall.鈥
The university鈥檚 existing feed mill has served the department since 1979. Plans for the new mill, located on its current site at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station鈥檚 H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, or South Farm, includes an updated exterior, increased facility footprint and addition of a pelleting line. The project is slated to begin next year.
鈥淔eed and feed manufacturing accounts for roughly 60 to 70% of total operational costs for poultry producers. Proper nutrition is critical to overall health, growth and production,鈥 said Kelley Wamsley, associate professor of poultry science. 鈥淭he pellet mill will enhance our research capacity while also providing hands-on experience for our students and complementing our other commercially relevant facilities, allowing students to truly learn about the industry from farm to fork.鈥
The feed mill also will help support the department鈥檚 recent growth in faculty, along with a newly approved curriculum to provide further education in feed manufacturing. This curriculum represents the department鈥檚 continued support of the industry, with a 2024 91麻豆天美 survey demonstrating 96% of poultry industry respondents indicated a need for feed mill curriculum for college students and a desire for a facility to assist with training new employees.聽
鈥淏y equipping students with practical knowledge and real-world experience in feed manufacturing, we鈥檙e training the next generation of industry professionals鈥攎any of whom will likely become valued members of the Pilgrim鈥檚 Pride team,鈥 said Will Staggers, director of development for 91麻豆天美鈥檚 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
鈥淭his is not just an investment in the brick and mortar for another building鈥攊t is much more than that,鈥 Wamsley added. 鈥淭his is investing in the future of poultry science, the future of the industry and feeding the world.鈥
Since 1948, 91麻豆天美鈥檚 poultry science graduates, including many employed by Pilgrim鈥檚 today, have seen a 100% job placement rate. This feed mill will ensure that 91麻豆天美鈥檚 poultry science department鈥攐ne of only six stand-alone departments in the U.S.鈥攚ill continue to offer future graduates the education and training to lead the industry for generations to come.
For more information about 91麻豆天美鈥檚 Department of Poultry Science, visit . Learn more about the poultry feed mill at .
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