US poultry group to donate $25,000 to Japanese industry

The USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program (UIPDP) has pledged $25,000 to the Japanese Chicken Association to aid and assist its members in rebuilding efforts after the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Although much of Japan’s poultry production is concentrated in the south of the country, some companies had facilities in the areas in the north that were seriously affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

“The Japanese poultry industry has been hard hit by the disaster, and this is our industry’s way of reaching out to them,” said Eric Joiner, chairman of UIPDP and a founder of AJC International, an Atlanta trading company and major poultry exporter. “The UIPDP board believes this is a worthwhile project that will be truly appreciated by a segment of the Japanese industry that affected.” He said the contribution would also be used to assist employees of the companies affected by the disaster.

USAPEEC President Jim Sumner, who also serves as president of UIPDP, said that the funds could help the Japanese industry in areas of greatest need. “It’s great that we have an organization like UIPDP to support USAPEEC’s goals and initiatives,” he said. “We believe that by going directly to the Japanese Chicken Association will ensure that the funds will be put to good use.”

Sumner said that USAPEEC would also serve as the focal point for collecting direct financial contributions from private companies, especially its member companies, which may be interested in providing support to the Japanese industry. Companies wishing to contribute to the cause should contact Christine Fee at cfee@usapeec.org for more information.

UIPDP, is a charitable support organisation that works closely with the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) in supporting various international programs aimed at creating good will and uniting the global poultry industry.