Hoyer Helps Break Ground on New BARC Poultry Facility

Beltsville, MD - Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD) helped break ground today on the new Beltsville Agriculture Research Center (BARC) Poultry Facility, which will provide this important federal center with much needed upgrades. Hoyer helped secure nearly $5.2 million for the new facility, and has secured over $14.5 million to meet critical buildings and facilities needs at BARC just since 2001.

Below are Hoyer's remarks as prepared for delivery at the groundbreaking event:

"In times of disaster, we are often forced to re-examine and reorder our priorities – putting off our plans for tomorrow to emerge from the crisis that confronts us today. This is, of course, the case today along the Gulf Coast, and -- albeit on a much smaller scale -- was the situation here at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center following the 2001 tornado.

"That year, the Congress was set to fund the facility for which we break ground today – the new poultry building. However, in the face of roughly $20 million in tornado inflicted damages, this funding was redirected to the much-needed repair efforts.

"Aware of the pressing need to consolidate the dozen or so aging and outmoded poultry facilities here at BARC, I joined with Senators Sarbanes and Mikulski in continuing to fight to secure the dollars necessary to build this structure. I am pleased that, in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, we were able to secure a total of $5.2 million for this project.

"Upon its completion, the new 21,800 square foot facility will be an important step forward in the ongoing efforts to modernize facilities across the BARC campus. The new, state of the art poultry building will feature individual wings to house both chickens and turkeys. The facility will also feature a hatchery, laboratory, animal surgery suite, necropsy room, feed mixing and storage space, as well as areas for employees. The new facility will better enable the scientists, researchers, and support staff of a number of the laboratories under BARC's Animal and Natural Resources Institute to carry on their critical research in the areas of nutrition, growth regulation, efficient reproduction, and parasitic diseases of poultry.

"Over the years, this work has led to a number of important discoveries and innovations which have served to bolster the health of the poultry industry and the overall agricultural economy of our state and nation. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the combined value of production from broilers, eggs, turkeys and the value of sales from chickens last year was nearly $29 billion – a 24% increase from 2003.

"And, as many of you well know, poultry is the cornerstone of Maryland's agriculture economy. Last year, broilers alone accounted for approximately 36% of Maryland's cash farm income.

"The important research undertaken here has focused not only on the improved health of our economy, but also the health and nutrition of poultry consumers throughout our nation and around the world. I am confident that, once built, the new facility will enable the world class scientific community at BARC to make even greater strides in the field of poultry research.

"Most of us are aware the business of researching never ends, but many times the benefits are overlooked. In 90 years, BARC has grown into the largest and most diversified agricultural research complex in the world. Their record of accomplishments has earned the Center international accolades and attracts thousands of visitors each year.

"BARC has taken advantage of the fact it is a comprehensive center with almost every scientific discipline represented. Researchers are addressing issues of high national priority through 35 laboratories and 4 institutes. They are protecting our resources from plant and animal disease, improving water quality, advancing renewable energy, and assessing our nutritional needs. This benefits all Americans.

"Research is an essential tool worthy of investment and facilities such as the new poultry building are a key ingredient for doing great research. In my estimation, we must continue to protect and increase federal investment in order to ensure our society maintains an affordable, safe and high quality food supply, while protecting our environment and keeping our farmers competitive. Making these investments in agricultural research and facilities is investing in the future health of all Americans. In my view, the new poultry building will play a significant role in this regard and I am honored to have played a role in making it a reality."

In addition to helping restore funding for BARC research programs, which are eliminated almost every year in the President's budget, Congressman Hoyer has successfully helped secure funding for the new poultry facility over the past several years. He helped secure $3 million in the Fiscal Year 2002 Agriculture Appropriations bill for the purpose of constructing the new facility. Unfortunately, these funds needed to be redirected to pay for damages at BARC associated with the September 2001 tornado. Subsequently, Congressman Hoyer helped secure $2.7 million in the Fiscal Year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill and $2.5 million in the Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus Appropriations bill to build the facility.

The new 28,100 square foot poultry facility will be both a production and hatchery building. It will replace about a dozen old buildings built in the 1930's that are in poor condition and obsolete. The site of the new facility will also assist in meeting BARC's long-term modernization goal of clustering buildings in a core area near Powder Mill Road. The building will be constructed to satisfy all animal care and use requirements and help BARC meet its long-term goal of being accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, the accrediting organization for research animal facilities in the United States.

The facility will support research conducted by the Growth Biology Laboratory, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, and the Biotechnology and Germplasm Laboratory, all under BARC's Animal and Natural Resources Institute. Research in these laboratories centers on nutrition, growth regulation, reproduction, and parasitic diseases and uses state-of-the-art technology in molecular biology, functional genomics, and proteomics.

The new facility will have a "U"-shaped configuration with one wing designed to house chickens and the other wing to house turkeys. The base of the "U" contains the hatchery, laboratory, animal surgery suite, necropsy room, feed mixing, and storage facilities.

The United States'combined value of production from broilers, eggs, turkeys, and the value of sales from chickens in 2004 was $28.9 billion, up 24% from 2003. Of the combined total, 71% was from broilers ($20.4 billion), 18% from eggs ($5.3 billion), 11% from turkeys ($3.07 billion), and less than 1% from chickens ($58 million).

Approximately 36% of Maryland's cash farm income was from broilers in 2004. Maryland ranked 9th among the states in the pounds of broilers produced in 2004 with 1.37 billion pounds and 8th in the nation in value of production at $628 million.

Hoyer was joined at the event by Dr. Phyllis Johnson, BARC Director, Bill Satterfield, Executive Director, Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., Merle Pierson, Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, Caird Rexroad, Associate Administrator, Agricultural Research Service, and Julie Long, Research Physiologist, Biotechnology and Germplasm Laboratory.

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