From press reports

Thirty-nine poultry producers in Mississippi have been chosen to receive Energy Efficiency Improvement grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service, according to Bennie Hutchins of Southwest Mississippi Resource Conservation and Development, Inc., who assisted the growers in submitting applications for the funds. A total of $1.27 million will go to the Mississippi applicants out of $1.8 million funded nationwide.

Grant funds will be used to pay up to 25 percent of the cost of improvements to existing poultry houses that will result in reduced amounts of energy required per unit of production. Examples of such improvements are converting from curtain sidewalls to solid sidewalls or replacing exiting curtains with those of higher R-value, conversion to half-house brooding, installation of drop ceilings with blown insulation, and installation of vent doors and vent machines. Other upgrades can include putting in place more energy efficient brooders and/or fans, installation of cool cell systems or making improvements to existing systems, new or improved computers with timers, sensors or pagers, and replacing incandescent lighting with halogen lights. It is expected that the growers will experience an average savings of over 23 percent in annual energy costs. The projected energy savings coupled with increases in production efficiency will result in a project pay-back period of just under three years.

Of the 39 applicants in Mississippi, 34 were broiler producers, three were breeder/layer producers, and two were pullet growers. The growers farm in 17 counties including Amite, Coving, Jasper. Jeff Davis, Jones, Lamar, Leake, Lincoln, Marion, Neshoba, Perry, Pike, Scott, Simpson, Smith. Walthall, and Winston. In Winston County, $13,896 was awarded to one grower with $41,689 coming from the producer for a total project cost of $55,585. Mississippi has nearly 3,000 poultry producers, and is fourth in the nation in production exceeded only by Georgia, Arkansas and Alabama, according to USDA.

This funding cycle was only the second round of the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Improvements Grant Program, which was authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill. Of the 99 projects funded nationwide so far, Southwest Mississippi Resource Conservation and Development has assisted with 44 successful applications, for a total of almost $1.5 million.

Assisting with the development of grant applications were Leslie Threadgill, Mississippi Poultry Association; Dr. Berry Lott, MSU Extension Service-Poultry Science Department; Dr. Ken Hood, MSU Extension ServiceFood and Fiber Center; and Donald Thompson, Staff Engineer for Mississippi Development Authority.

For information about the 2005 program, contact the Mississippi Poultry Association at (601) 355-0248.