About America’s Turkey Industry
America’s turkey industry plays an essential role in feeding people around the world, creating jobs and helping to maintain a strong economy. The National Turkey Federation is made up of hardworking men and women on family farms, in the plant and everywhere in between – animal health, packaging, equipment, transportation and more – who play a role in the production, processing and delivery of more than 216 million turkeys each year.
The U.S. turkey industry provides more than 387,346 American jobs with direct wages of $22 billion, many of which are in rural communities across the country. Tens of thousands more Americans are employed in related industries, such as product distribution, equipment manufacturing and a wide variety of other affiliated services. The turkey industry has a direct financial impact of $36 billion, which increases to a total economic impact of $103.4 billion. For a closer look at how the industry creates jobs in your state or congressional district, click here.
Raising Turkeys
In 2021, 216.5 million turkeys were raised on turkey farms across the United States. NTF members play a role in each step of the turkey production process and are dedicated to bringing high-quality food to plates across the globe. For a closer look inside a turkey barn, check out this 360-Degree Virtual Reality Farm Tour that shows an up-close look at barn safety measures, operations systems and some curious poults!
Click here to learn more about how turkeys are raised.
Animal Welfare
NTF is committed to the wellbeing and proper care of turkeys. To ensure animal welfare practices are upheld industry-wide, the National Turkey Federation works closely with America’s turkey growers, veterinarians and industry experts to develop and maintain strict Standards of Conduct and Animal Care Guidelines for raising healthy birds in a safe environment at every stage of a turkey’s lifecycle. Additionally, NTF is on the frontlines of debunking myths about raising turkey and provides accurate resources regarding the well-being and safety of flocks.
Learn more about NTF’s commitment to animal welfare.
Turkey by the Numbers
Over the course of its history, the turkey industry has evolved from a single-product, holiday-oriented business to a fully integrated industry with a diversified product line that competes with other protein products year-round. According to USDA, turkey meat production in the United States in 2021 was 5.558 billion pounds. The top turkey-producing states are as follows: Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, Virginia, Iowa and California.
