WHEREAS, Virginia’s chicken industry provides a total annual economic impact of more than $12.8 billion to the Commonwealth’s economy and provides more than total jobs in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is home to approximately 1,160 farms raising chickens, with Rockingham, Accomack, Shenandoah, Augusta, and Page counties being the top five counties for broiler operations; and

WHEREAS, in 2023, Virginia ranked eighth nationally for cash receipts of broiler chickens at more than $1.29 billion, and in 2024, the Commonwealth ranked twelfth nationally for the number of broilers by head, at 263.4 million; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, the Commonwealth exported $203.3 million worth of Virginia-grown chicken, contributing to the national balance of trade, with top destination countries including Canada, Georgia, Vietnam, Ghana, Angola, Congo, Mauritania, Taiwan, Mexico, and Japan; and

WHEREAS, a 3.5-ounce serving of chicken breast provides 165 calories, 31 grams of protein, 3.6 grams of fat, and all nine essential amino acids; and

WHEREAS, September is recognized as National Chicken Month, and we extend our appreciation to Virginia’s chicken farmers and their families for their vital role in producing this valuable source of protein and for their contributions to the economic strength of the Commonwealth and the nation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 2025, as VIRGINIA CHICKEN MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.