As the Latin American aquaculture industry evolves and grows, so does the aquafeed industry. In the region, there are basically four major players in the aquafeed arena. Chile, the largest aquafeed producer in the region, has developed a highly advanced salmon industry, both in feed technology and nutrition. 

Poultry production in Latin America had an inglorious 2013because, among other things, the high cost of raw materials, avian influenza outbreaksand limited growth in the two largest economies — Brazil and Mexico — wherechicken production had decreased from 300 million birds, while the egg-layingindustry recorded an increase of about 1.9 percent in the hen population. The March edition of IndustriaAvícola contains data in Spanish showing this information by country, aswell as up-to-date charts of the 10 leading producers of chickens and eggs inLatin America.

House of Raeford Farms' associates in Rose Hill and Wallace, N.C., packed meals for the group Stop Hunger Now, reaching a goal of 30,000 meals destined for school children in Haiti. This is the second consecutive year the poultry company's Faithful Love Offering for Christ's Kingdom (FLOCK) team has helped the international hunger relief agency.

Developing economies in Central America and South America are changing how and where consumers there are purchasing poultry.

The XXII Central American and Caribbean Poultry Congress in Panama began May 23 with an opening ceremony and continues through May 25. Conferences begin May 24 and cover topics such as poultry health, incubation, nutrition, processing and handling.