New Poultry Research Center Opens in Georgia

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue returned to his home state to oversee the ground breaking of a new facility for the Southeast Poultry Research Lab at the University of Georgia.

“What I’ve come to learn is that the inter-relationship between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and our land-grant universities. That’s why we’re here today and it’s so important. That’s why these facilities are located in places like this.”

The benefits, Perdue said, are felt by many Americans and consumption of poultry has increased and that it’s critical for the researchers to be on the cutting edge of food safety.

Perdue also noted that the expansion of capabilities at the research facility can do great things for fighting diseases such as avian influenza.

“In some countries it’s just rampant around the country, but the research here is what helps us to contain and have very little challenges from that disease here.”

The new facility will be used by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.