NFL - NFL lockout could damage chicken wing industry
An extended NFL lockout would be devastating to the chicken wing industry, which has already seen prices drop precipitously this year, the chief executive of a major producer has said.
"It would kill wings, it would be terrible on wings," Joe Sanderson of Sanderson Farms Inc said at the Reuters Global Food and Agriculture Summit on Monday.
Chicken wings are popular fare at sports bars, especially on fall and winter Sundays when the National Football League has most of its games.
After weeks of deliberations, NFL team owners and players have not reached agreements on a number of labour issues, including pay and profit sharing. A federal court will hear an antitrust suit filed by NFL players on April 6.
Wholesale chicken wing prices generally increase steadily in the weeks ahead of the league's showpiece event, the Super Bowl, each February. This year, however, prices have been pressured by too many chickens on the lots.
Wholesale prices for chicken wings in Georgia were $1.04 (64.3p) per pound just ahead of this year's big game, down from $1.74 per pound a year earlier. This week, wing prices plunged to 95 cents per pound, according to US Department of Agriculture data.
Sanderson is the largest supplier of chicken wings to foodservice companies such as Sysco Corp and US Foodservice.
Last year, Sanderson saw such great demand for wings that it could not keep up. The company sells chicken wings as well as chicken tenders and pieces of breast meat, which are marketed as "boneless wings" at establishments such as Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.
"This year we had more than plenty," Sanderson said.
If the NFL does not play later this year, "it would be very bad for chicken wings and I do not know to what extent it would be bad for other products they sell in those watering holes or sports bars. It would not be good, I'd tell you that," he said.
As a fan whose company has a box for New Orleans Saints games at the Louisiana Superdome, Sanderson would be pained on another level by the absence of football.
"I'd die," Sanderson joked when asked about the impact of a lockout.
While the fate of the upcoming NFL season is up for debate, Sanderson appeared hopeful that an agreement will be reached.
"This thing will be resolved, it's going to be a great season and a great season for wings," he said. "For Saints and wings."
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i think most people realise that yes amaericans can read.. even though you did destroy the English language... but that is not the fat... number 28... how dare you say.. hey go help the libyans...are you nuts...
lets see.. this is a story about chicken wings.. and as i am english.. but have spent enough time now living in the states that i do realise about the american nature of foootball and food...so one thing... your telling us to get off our butts and go help the lybians get rid of another dictator... like we dont back the americans up in every war... your first port of call is always the english.. as if you look back in history... everytime you go to war... we british are always beside you .. and lol.. look at the facts...you go to war with afganistan... and guess what.... the uk.. yes us...... not you .. have more troops over there than you do .. fact... so befor eyou try and condem us..... read the facts first... then i will hang up writing on these and go back to enjoying readin instead....
On the brightside, there will be less chickens walking with their wings cut off asking "hey buddy, can you light my cigarette?"
Will the teams have to go back to the single wing formation?
This NFL players lockout is starting to make me second guess my diversified investment strategy in beer-helmet, body-paint and foam-finger stocks
Sorry to those of you in the UK & Ireland, but most of you don't seem to understand this story. A. It is interesting because the labor issues of a major sport seem to be capable of affect the food industry. B. Chicken wings are not going to cease to exist if there is no football, rather less Americans will eat chicken wings if there is no football. C. What is the problem with eating chicken wings? 3 wings at Buffalo Wild Wings = 150 calories. A serving of 12 = 600 calories. That is a reasonable meal. D. The weight problem in the UK is nearly as bad as that in the US. E. This is not new in the US, this website is a UK/Ireland site. No one in the US is claiming that falling consumption of chicken wings is more important than the natural disaster in Japan. F. It is nice to know that the US isn't the only country with idiot commentators on these websites.
We do love our wings and burgers, but the glory of British cruisine is . . . fish and chips? And the center of your social life is the neighborhood saloon? And England fans abroad are known as . . . hooligans? Don't throw too many stones in your little glass house, Brits.
And which country immediately dispatched an aircraft carrier to deliver relief supplies to Japan? Also sent was the search and rescue team from my home county -- which responds to disasters all over the world.
Euros are funny, and hypocritical. I mean, this article is on a european site. Sounds like Euros can't get enough news about America.
You realize Americans can read your comments right? @#$%? This isn't even an article in the US.
How about you Limeys start thinking of supporting the Libyan rebels for two seconds so the world can get rid another dictator without the US operating unilaterally?
Chicken wings are still overpriced. They were 17 cents a pound in the '90's..
its a well know fact that the americans are a fat lot but before people knock these fat baarstards take a good look at our own nation,,not exactly thin are we...
I love how people immediately think that because this is an article, everyone immediately believes it to be newsworthy, especially us fat and lazy Americans. It could be this is just a supplement to a bigger issue regarding the NFL lockout and just an interesting aside to that news. Automatically assuming everyone in America is fat and lazy and thinks this is more important than what is happening in Japan is arrogant and foolish. Grow up rest of the world, get to know people instead of generalizing and making assumptions based on what you see on your own news networks which I'm sure is much better at providing news.
f**king arrogant & selfish fat, gluttonous, obese, yanks make you sick! i hope they choke on their f**king chicken wings! my thoughts go out to japan and the japanese
This is a non issue a fast food being threatened by american football where is the crisis!
thats funny man..... typical americans, all the @#$% happening accross the world and they are worried about JUNK FOOD!! they dont care about anyone but themselves.
YAWN!!!!!
There's been another explosion at that power plant in Japan, yet THIS was considered more important. (That was one of the "smaller" news stories whilst this non-story was the biggest one on my front page. Who was the genius who though, "Hey, don't worry about the Japanese earthquake, the chicken wing industry will collapse like a house of cards in a stiff breeze if girlie rugby is unable to be played"?)
maby if america wasent such a fat bunch of @#$% then maby they could go out side n play some sport rather than eating @#$% in front of the tv like zombies
hahhaa..... love the fact that they call the breast and proper parts of the chicken "boneless wings" to sell it.. now that is the height of retardedness!!!!!
hahahahaa
Americans have no taste in good food lets face it they eat with only a fork and eat junk food, I have relatives in the USA so not knocking the Americans just their table and eating habits
Come on Pauljones mate....everyone in the world knows the yanks are the fattest people in the world....I went to Florida last year and one of the first people i see at the car hire desk was a lady who was about 4 foot tall and about 16 stone...my god did we laugh!!She literally looked like a ball..I still laugh about it now...They were everywhere....fat mules!
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