USAPEEC meeting covers animal disease response and export market access news 

The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) conducted a successful 2025 annual meeting in Montreal, Canada, the week of June 23. 

This year’s event was especially noteworthy as it marked the 40th anniversary of the organization. Several former chairpersons as well as longtime USAPEEC President Jim Sumner returned to participate, making for a memorable occasion. 

Approximately 300 attendees came to listen to experts from industry and government discuss pressing issues of the day including animal disease response, tariff news and export market access and prospects. 

Representatives from USAPEEC’s 240 members received a detailed update on the importance and value of commodity funding to sustaining and growing U.S. poultry and egg exports. USAPEEC commodity funding, excluding dues, totaled nearly $5.6 million for programs worldwide in Fiscal Year 2025. 

Of the $5.5 million approved in 2025, the soybean industry funded more than $4.8 million, about 87 percent of the total. The corn industry gave nearly $583,000, or 10 percent of the total. The American Egg Board contributed $145,200, or e percent of the total. And the National Turkey Federation provided $10,000. 

More than 60 percent of all U.S. soybean meal is consumed by the U.S. poultry and egg industry. In 2024, U.S. poultry and egg exports were equivalent to 127 million soybean bushels, valued at more than $5.84 billion. 

Commodity contributions fund more than 100 activities in more than 35 countries. 

Programs for 2025 include cooking competitions, avian influenza seminars, trade missions, reverse trade missions, menu promotions, food safety seminars, meat processing partnerships, research, trade shows, influencer marketing, digital campaigns and regional conferences. 

Markets in the approved activities include Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Vietnam, the Philippines and other ASEAN countries, Japan and South Korea. 

USAPEEC also set the path forward for its immediate future, announcing its executive committee and board of directors for 2025-2026. 

Martin Piffaretti of FoodLink Group was elected Chairman of the Board. Piffaretti served as First Vice Chairman for the last year. He will head the board, which sets policy and provides direction to USAPEEC. He succeeds Thomas Isaf. 

“I am truly honored and humbled by the opportunity,” Piffaretti said. “Having served as First Vice Chairman and having been active in the organization for a couple decades now, I know full well how valuable a role USAPEEC’s mission plays in our industry’s success. I am fully committed to building upon the amazing work of my predecessors and making sure that we continue to grow U.S. poultry and egg exports globally.” 

Jianlin Si of Tyson Foods was elected to serve as First Vice Chairman for the 2025-2026 term, and Oleg Kovalev of Mountaire Farms was elected Second Vice Chairman. 

Also elected to the USAPEEC Executive Committee for 2025-2026 were: Ryan Downes of Farbest as Secretary-Treasurer; Andrew Szymanski of Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Haden Slain of Poseidon Forwarding, and Kenny Raney of Simmons Prepared Foods as Members-at-Large; Christine McCracken of Rabobank as Associate Member-at-Large; and Jerry Slocum of the United Soybean Board as Commodity Member-at-Large. Thierry Murad of AJC International will serve as Chairman of the USAPEEC Market Advisory Panel and will have a seat on the executive committee. Isaf will have a seat on the executive committee as Immediate Past Chair.