COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., the second largest poultry company in the U.S., headquartered in Greeley, Colo., has given $1 million through the Texas A&M Foundation to establish the Poultry Science Feed Mill Support Fund.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University will use this gift to reconstruct and renovate the feed mill located at the Poultry Science Research, Teaching and Extension Center. This is the largest single gift ever given to the Poultry Science Department.
“This generous gift will allow us to expand and elevate our research capacity as well as provide further opportunities to our students,” said Dr. Mark Hussey, vice chancellor and dean of Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “The Poultry Science Feed Mill Support Fund will replace antiquated equipment that uses technology half a century old with a state-of-the-art feed mill.”
The improvements in the infrastructure and facilities will enhance the poultry science department’s research capacity by increasing the amount of feed that they can produce. The new facility and equipment will increase their production from 1 ton per hour to approximately 5 to 7 tons per hour.
“This agreement between Pilgrim’s Corporation and the Texas A&M Foundation represents a coordinated effort to enhance the research, outreach, and educational capacity of the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University for the benefit of the commercial poultry industry and the field of Poultry Science,” said Dr. David Caldwell, department head for poultry science.
Faculty and graduate student researchers will use the facility to investigate ways to maximize poultry nutrient utilization and feed manufacturing practices for the commercial poultry industry.
“The research provided by Texas A&M is invaluable to the poultry industry and we believe that this investment supports the long-term viability of our industry as we meet the challenges of feeding the world’s growing population,” said Bill Lovette, Pilgrim’s CEO. “We are confident that Texas A&M will continue to be a leader in agricultural education, embracing our history while encouraging growth and sustainable innovations.”
With more than 300 faculty members and almost 8,000 students, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is the largest college of its kind in the country. The college is home to one of only six dedicated poultry science departments and is the biggest in the U.S. The poultry judging team has won 18 of the last 20 national champion title contests.
