WHAT HAPPENED: The House Rules Committee held a hearing on Tuesday on H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 – the Farm Bill — as well as several other pieces of high-priority legislation.
WHY IT MATTERS: Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) introduced an amendment to the bill that would add hot rotisserie chicken to the list of foods eligible for SNAP recipients to purchase – identical to the two standalone bills introduced last week in the House and Senate. Currently, SNAP participants may only purchase cold rotisserie chicken, which is simply refrigerated hot chicken due to an outdated technicality.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: The bill advanced out of the Rules Committee, and the full House began consideration of the Farm Bill on Wednesday night. Rep. Crawford’s amendment passed by voice vote, but a recorded vote was requested by House Ag Committee Chairman “GT” Thompson (R-PA). On Thursday morning, Rep. Crawford’s amendment to include hot rotisserie chicken in SNAP passed by a huge, bipartisan margin of 384-35. The House then passed the full Farm Bill 224-200.
NCC’s TAKE: This is a commonsense solution to an unnecessary problem. “I want to thank Rep. Crawford for his leadership on this issue, and congratulate him for the passage of his amendment by such a wide and bipartisan margin,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. “I also want to congratulate House Ag Committee Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) and committee staff for getting the Farm Bill over the finish line in the House. The ‘Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act’ is popular because it’s a winner on affordability and nutrition. We urge the Senate as they consider their version of the Farm Bill to build on this momentum and the work of Sens. Justice (R-WV), Bennet (D-CO), Fetterman (D-PA) and Capito (R-WV) who last week introduced the bill in the Senate.”
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
“By allowing the purchase of hot rotisserie chicken, we give families the opportunity to use it as a meal or an ingredient in countless recipes such as chicken salad, enchiladas, soups, and casseroles, and the list goes on. This meaningful change will allow families to enjoy a wider variety of wholesome meals, and the governors from my state of Arkansas and seven other states have already requested waivers from USDA to allow their states to make hot rotisserie chicken SNAP eligible. USDA stated that it does not believe it has the legal authority to grant these waivers without congressional input. So, it’s time for us to act.” — Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)
Rep. Crawford at hearing
“I just want to say I very much support this amendment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that people cannot buy hot foods with — not just rotisserie chicken, but hot foods with SNAP benefits. They literally can’t buy what I buy for my family to eat at the grocery store, but they can buy candy bars and soda pop. And it just defies logic that we would let them buy candy bars and soda pop, not hot foods, much less rotisserie chicken.” — Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA)
Rep. Scott at hearing
“After raising a pile of kids, I know what a life saver a hot chicken can be when you need to put food on the table at the end of a long day. It’s backwards to stop SNAP families from buying this fast, easy, and affordable meal…time to fix it and give working families a break.” — Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI)
WHAT’s NEXT: Action on the Farm Bill now moves over to the Senate, where a bill has yet to be introduced.
WHAT HAPPENED: The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill covering the Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and related agencies. The vote was 35 to 25. House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) included language in the bill that would allow surplus broiler hatching eggs to be sold into the egg breaker market, at least for one year since this is a one-year spending bill.
OTHER AMENDMENTS: On a side note, an amendment offered by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez (D-WA), included report language encouraging USDA to expedite an HPAI vaccine in a pilot program. It was defeated in a voice vote.
WHY IT MATTERS: In 2009, FDA finalized a rule to address Salmonella in table eggs. The rule imposed a refrigeration requirement, not just on table eggs, but on all eggs (including broiler industry eggs). As a result, broiler producers can no longer sell those surplus eggs that didn’t hatch to “breakers.” These egg breakers pasteurize them for use in baking products, pastas, etc. This provision would correct that, allowing surplus broiler eggs to be used in the food supply after pasteurization.
ARE THESE EGGS SAFE? USDA’s publicly available testing data show that Salmonella positives in pasteurized egg products remain nearly zero—confirming that pasteurization at USDA-inspected breakers is an effective, independent food safety control.
NCC’s TAKE: We fully support this provision that would make available nearly 400 million safe, nutritious, and pasteurized eggs each year. NCC has twice petitioned FDA to make this change, and we support two separate bills currently introduced in the House and Senate that address this issue.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “The data that the FDA relied on is old data that actually used modeling data, not a real study. They changed the rule. And subsequent to changing the rule, there was no difference in the number of batches that failed pasteurization. So actually the real world data, actual sampling data shows that rule was not effective at changing anything. Pasteurization in fact works.” — Rep. Harris
Watch a video of Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) speaking out in support of the provision:
WHAT HAPPENED: NCC recently signed onto a letter from the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports urging House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) and Ranking Member Sanford Bishop (D-GA) to provide full, mandatory funding for USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development Program (FMD) in the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill.
WHY IT MATTERS: MAP and FMD are the primary federal tools for helping U.S. agricultural exporters — including chicken producers — compete in overseas markets. With an annual value of $4.5billion, chicken is one of America’s top agricultural exports, and access to foreign markets is critical to the economic health of the entire supply chain, from growers to processors. Exports are especially important to move every part of the bird, especially leg quarters and paws.
NCC’S TAKE: NCC strongly supports full funding for MAP and FMD and is pleased to join more than 100 agricultural organizations in making this request.
BACKGROUND: The programs fund activities such as consumer promotion, market research, and trade servicing in dozens of countries. The U.S. broiler industry has benefited significantly from these programs, which have helped build demand for American chicken in key export markets around the world.
WHAT’S NEXT: The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to begin work on the FY 2027 bill in the coming weeks. NCC will continue to engage with members of the subcommittee and advocate for robust funding for MAP and FMD.
WHAT HAPPENED: NCC, along with the National Turkey Federation, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, and United Egg Producers, submitted joint comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supporting approval of NovoFly™, a new tool to fight New World Screwworm, a devastating parasitic fly that threatens American livestock and poultry.
BACKGROUND: The New World Screwworm was successfully eliminated from the United States in the 1960s using similar sterile insect techniques. However, the pest still exists in parts of South and Central America, creating an ongoing risk of reintroduction. Having improved tools ready ensures America can respond quickly and effectively if needed.
WHAT IT IS: NovoFly™ is a genetically modified strain of the New World Screwworm that produces only male flies. These sterile males would be released in targeted areas to mate with wild female flies, preventing them from reproducing.
WHY IT MATTERS: While currently most associated with cattle, New World Screwworm is a flesh-eating parasite that can attack other livestock, poultry, and even humans. The screwworm was eliminated from the U.S. decades ago, but there is always a risk it could return from other countries.
WHAT’S NEXT: EPA is reviewing the application for both regular approval and emergency use authorization. The poultry industry will continue to support science-based tools that protect America’s food supply and farm families who depend on healthy livestock and poultry.
WHAT HAPPENED: Zinpro, based in Eden Prairie, MN, has joined the National Chicken Council as an allied leader member company. Austin Jasek, Account Manager – North America Sales, Poultry, will serve as the official representative to NCC.
ABOUT ZINPRO: For more than 50 years, Zinpro has improved the health and wellbeing of both animals and people as a pioneer in the research and development of performance trace minerals and innovative nutritional solutions. As a family-owned, privately held company, its steady growth can be attributed to a world-class team of experts, the production of high-quality products, and a longstanding commitment to helping customers advance the health and performance of their animals. With products marketed in more than 70 countries worldwide, Zinpro is a global leader in advancing animal performance through greater nutrition and remains dedicated to creating smarter practices for a more sustainable world. To learn more about Zinpro, visit their website here.
WHAT HAPPENED: The International Poultry Welfare Alliance (IPWA) and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs (US-RSPE) this week announced the appointment of Andy Vance as Executive Director of both organizations, succeeding Ryan Bennett who recently left the organizations.
WHY IT MATTERS: IPWA is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing science-based poultry welfare through education, collaboration, and practical tools that support continuous improvement across the poultry sector. US-RSPE is a multi-stakeholder organization committed to advancing sustainability in the U.S. poultry and egg value chain through collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
WHO IS ANDY VANCE: A Certified Association Executive (CAE), he served as Executive Director of the Poultry Science Association, where he led strategic growth initiatives, strengthened member engagement, and advanced the organization’s global scientific mission. His experience spans association management, advocacy, media, governance, and organizational transformation.
NCC’s TAKE: NCC is a founding member of IPWA and US-RSPE and NCC’s Tom Super and Ashley Peterson serve on various committees of both organizations. “We have worked with Andy for a long time in his various roles and look forward to continuing our relationship in his new position, while helping to advance the mission of the organizations,” said NCC spokesperson Tom Super.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: “Andy brings a strong combination of strategic leadership, industry understanding, and member-focused experience,” said Lankford Ruffin Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Poultry & Egg Sustainability and Welfare Foundation, which oversees both IPWA and US-RSPE. “His background positions both organizations well as we continue building momentum around welfare, sustainability, and meaningful collaboration across the poultry value chain.”
Andy Vance. Source: IPWA / US-RSPE
U.S. total broiler slaughter data for the week ending April 25, 2026, is estimated by USDA’s Poultry Market News Service to be 170,854,000 broilers, a 3-percent increase from the same week a year earlier.
The 3-percent increase in slaughter compares with a 2-percent increase in eggs set in the United States, 10 weeks earlier, and a 2-percent increase in chicks placed 7 weeks earlier in the United States. USDA’s latest Broiler Hatchery report can be viewed here.
| U.S. Eggs Set, Chicks Placed, Broiler Slaughter Report | ||||||||||
| Week ending | Eggs set | Chicks placed | Eggs set | Chicks placed | Broilers slaughtered | |||||
| change from | change from | 10 weeks previous | 7 weeks previous | |||||||
| 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | ||||||
| -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | |
| Mar | ||||||||||
| 21 | 255,241 | 102 | 196,001 | 102 |
253,361 | 102 | 195,386 | 102 | 170,237 | 102 |
| 28 | 256,471 | 103 | 195,765 | 102 |
254,388 | 103 | 195,573 | 102 | 168,527 | 101 |
| Apr | ||||||||||
| 4* | 253,579 | 102 | 196,463 | 103 |
253,842 | 102 | 195,378 | 102 | 168,174 | 100 |
| 11 | 256,019 | 103 | 197,296 | 103 |
251,111 | 101 | 192,408 | 101 | 171,173 | 102 |
| 18 | 255,760 | 102 | 198,483 | 104 |
254,036 | 102 | 193,098 | 101 | 168,744 | 103 |
| 25 | 256,077 | 103 | 195,695 | 102 |
254,580 | 102 | 195,286 | 102 | 170,854 | 103 |
| May | ||||||||||
| 2 | — | — | — | — |
254,948 | 102 | 196,241 | 102 | — | — |
*Easter Holiday Weekend
