Milford chronicle., 1952-04-04
Eagle Poultry Plant
Closes At FrankfOrd
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in Delaware, Maryland, and Vir-
ginia 'have been in the business
longer and are smarter operators
than newcomers in other states,
Mr. GOrdy said.
Lingo Confident
Robert Lingo, secretary-treasurer
of the Delmarva Poultry Corpora
tiOn which also operates a large
processing plant in Milford, also
said that Delmarva poultrymen
were the first in the business and
certainly should be able to meet
and best any competition"
The Frankford pant had been
processing 100000 to 25O,0O0 brOil-
ers a week, with about IS per cent
of it's output going to the Armour
Company for sale on the New York
market, Mr.. Lingo said.
"The market has been very, very
weak" he asserted. I'VE have been
paying 26 and % cents a pound to
the grower, but we can't make
money unless the price comes down
to "a or 25 cents a pound. AT the
same time, growers say they can't
make any money at 26 and q cents
a pound"
Mr.. Lingo pointed out that the
processing of bTOilers formerly
done at the FrankfOrd plant could
be handled by the 13 plants still
active in the area.
Once In Controlling Spot
He explained that at one time,
when the poultry industry rOcketed
to bonanza proportions during
World War II, "the Shore. supply
determined the market value"
Competition on the market from
broilers shipped in from Georgia
and Maine have now ended this
superior position of the Delmarva
industry, "but that doesn't mean
that we are going out of business
down here" Mr.. Lingo said.
Since Delmarva pOultrymen have
been in the business longer, their
costs are higher than newcomers
who have not had to compensate
for the high rate of disease in pOul-
/ try flocks, Mr. Lingo said.
He added that, although it was
highly controversial point through
out the industry, it was his Opin-
ion over-productiOn and a conse-
quent drop in quality have had
much to do with the present situa-
| ton.
Both Mr.. Lingo and Mr.. GOrdy
insisted that improvement of pro-
ductiOn methods would result in an
1 Improvement i'm the overall situa-
ton. "but il cannot be denied that
every segment of the industry Is
at present hard hit"
Heavy losses are being expert
enced, Mr.. Lingo said, by egg pro-
ducers. hatcheries providing baby
chicks, the poultry grower, and the
professor.
Mr.. GOrdy admitted that there
| is no pat answer" to the situation.
but pointed again to "hard times
the industry had faced and surviv-
ed before. and stressed the super
ior quality" of peninsula brOilers.
Harry Landis, chairman OF the
board of the corporation which
closed the Frankford plant, had no
comment on the latest development
in the concentrated broiler raising
area. He said he was planning to
confer with other industry leaders
and would later issue a report on
his survey of conditions.
Two Closes Previously
The Millsboro Poultry Company
and the Shovel Poultry Company
at Selbyville both closed down
i earlier, and a few brOiler producers
and hatcheries have temporarily
suspended operations.
The heaviest losses, it was point
ed out. will be sustained by grow
ers who have flOcks ready for mar
ket who must sell and absorb their
losses.
Beyond a certain point, it costs
more to keep and feed brOilers
than would be lost in sales on 9
low market, pOultrymen pointed
ont