Governor Reeves Directs the Mississippi Poultry Association’s Charitable Donation to the Mississippi Food Network and the Salvation Army

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi's poultry and egg companies kicked off the 2026 giving season today with their annual donation of chicken meat and eggs for the charities of Governor Reeves' choosing.

Governor Reeves has directed this generous donation of 519,600 servings of protein to the Mississippi Food Network and Salvation Army. That is 97,500 pounds of meat and 129,600 eggs.

"Thank you to the Mississippi Poultry Association for once again stepping up to serve their fellow Mississippians," said Governor Tate Reeves. "The Mississippi Food Network and the Salvation Army do tremendous work, and I appreciate their continued partnership in distributing this generous donation."

"We hope today's early poultry and egg donation to Governor Tate Reeves challenges other individuals and groups to remember those Mississippians who need assistance feeding themselves and their families," said Mississippi Poultry Association Chairman of the Board Paul Billingsley of Wayne-Sanderson Farms. "We appreciate Governor Reeves coordinating this effort for seven years."

Since the program began, Mississippi Poultry Association members have donated more than 1 million pounds of chicken and more than 2 million eggs, which totals six million servings of protein.

In addition to the 23,000 people who work in the poultry and egg industry, 1,700 farm families raise chickens and produce eggs. The industry also generates another 68,750 jobs and is Mississippi's largest agricultural industry.

These products, which are raised on Mississippi farms, come from Amick Farms, Cal Maine Foods, Koch Foods, Mar-Jac Poultry MS, Peco Foods, Tyson Foods and Wayne-Sanderson Farms. Each company individually donates products throughout the year to various charities, but they come together through the Mississippi Poultry Association once a year to make this donation.