Sen. Ossoff delivers major new resources to boost Fort Valley State University and the University of Georgia’s poultry training programs
Fort Valley, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is strengthening Georgia’s poultry workforce.
Today, Sen. Ossoff visited Fort Valley State University (FVSU) to brief students and leaders on the $4 million he is delivering to FVSU and the University of Georgia to help train the next generation of Georgia’s poultry farmers and scientists.
The new resources, which Sen. Ossoff secured with bipartisan support in Congress, will help FVSU establish a poultry science major and purchase new equipment for their students —providing a state-of-the-art learning environment for students interested in poultry careers.
The resources will also help UGA upgrade technology and lab equipment for its agricultural education programs.
“I am delivering new resources to strengthen Georgia’s poultry workforce in a collaboration between Fort Valley State University and UGA,” Sen. Ossoff said, “which will establish a new poultry science major here at Fort Valley State University, will expand the research ongoing here and at the University of Georgia to strengthen Georgia’s poultry industry, and to train the next generation of poultry scientists and poultry workers.”
Georgia is the nation’s leading poultry-producing state, and it supports a multibillion-dollar industry in the state. However, the industry is currently facing an aging workforce, which is creating concerns about meeting future demand.
Last year, Sen. Ossoff visited the University of Georgia to discuss future collaborations between UGA and FVSU to enhance poultry workforce training at both universities. He also visited the Georgia Poultry Laboratory last summer to hear from local leaders and small business owners about ways to strengthen the state’s agricultural industry.
Sen. Ossoff and Senator Reverend Warnock also delivered $7.5 million to boost Georgia’s meat processing industry and create new jobs in rural communities.
The two lawmakers also recently urged President Biden and the Department of Agriculture to prioritize boosted funding to protect Georgia’s poultry industry from avian flu outbreaks.
