FoodPAC’s FY 2005 Call for Program Proposals received 26 submissions.
The submitted proposals were divided among FoodPAC’s three research
focus areas as follows: 11 Process and Product Competitiveness,
8 Food Safety and Health, and 7 Environmental. These proposals request funding
totaling
$2,292,001. FoodPAC’s leadership hopes to receive $1.1 million in
state general funds and $300,000 in state bond funds for
project funding in FY 2005. (As of this writing, the General Assembly had
yet to approve
the FY 2005 budget).
In order to select projects for the FY 2005 research
program, FoodPAC’s three Technical Committees will begin meeting
separately during the next two weeks to rate and prioritize
the proposals. During the
selection process, each Technical Committee will compare
the proposals for their responsiveness to the Proposal
Call. Committee members will also hear
oral presentations from each research proposal leader. These
oral presentations are designed to explain the thrust of
the proposed research as well as update
the committee on previous work done in the proposed area.
The
Technical Committees will then give each proposal a numerical
rating using a 20-point criteria scheme (10 points for
Technical Merit, 5 points for Collaboration, and 5 points for Funding).
After
each proposal is rated, the committees rank order the
submissions (by overall score) and
put together a final recommendation on their selections
for the Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee will
meet in early to mid-April
to review, adjust, and approve the FY 2005 research
program. All proposal submitters
will be notified of the final selections by early to
mid-May.
Did You Know?
In 1995, the Georgia General Assembly declared
Georgia the official Poultry Capital of the World, and Governor
Zell Miller signed the legislation on April 8, 1995.
Broilers
are Georgia’s largest single agricultural commodity,
and poultry is the largest agricultural segment, creating about
$3.08 billion in annual farm income and more than 44 percent
of the state’s agriculture and agribusiness economy.
Additional revenue comes from numerous poultry industry meetings,
seminars, and conventions.
Georgia farmers produce 15 percent
of the nation’s chickens
at an average of nearly 23 million pounds per day. Georgia
and bordering states account for 42 percent of national poultry
production. Georgia alone is the fourth largest poultry producing
region in the world
While per capita chicken consumption has
doubled since 1978, Georgia’s production has tripled. There are more
than 12,000 chicken houses and more than 40 processing plants
in the state.
Key factors that make chicken America’s
favorite food are its nutritional and health advantages, price
and economic value, expanding availability, and endless variety
of new, good-tasting, and convenient ways to prepare chicken products.
Of
all meats, chicken provides the most nutrients with the
least number of calories. Removing the skin reduces the already
low fat content by almost half. A 3-ounce serving of skinless
roasted chicken breast contains only 116 calories yet provides
more than half the recommended daily protein requirement.
Source: Georgia Agricultural Resources.
March 16-26: Technical Committees meet separately to review
FY 2005 proposals, hear researchers’ presentations, and prioritize submissions
by focus area
Early to Mid-April: Steering Committee meets to review,
adjust, and approve FY 2005 research program
Early to Mid-May: FY 2005 research program announced
June 30: FY 2004 research projects completed
July 1: FY 2005 research projects begin
September 1: FY 2004 final project reports due
This unique conference provides a national
forum for information transfer on safety management in the poultry industry.
Presentation topics range from worker safety/ergonomics to plant safety/plant
security to worker training.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Georgia
Poultry Federation, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation,
and Georgia Tech Research Institute.
For more information, contact Kristi Spivey at (404)
894-3412 or e-mail kristi.spivey@gtri.gatech.edu.
FoodPAC’s Fiscal Year 2003-2004 Report to Industry is now available. The report gives an overview of the Traditional Industries Program for Food Processing, provides the FoodPAC committee leadership listing and calender of events, and highlights the research results of 15 projects conducted during FY 2003 as well as activity plans for FY 2004. The report is available to all members of Georgia’s food processing industry.
To receive a copy, contact Kristi Spivey at (404) 894-3412
or e-mail kristi.spivey@gtri.gatech.edu.
The report can also be downloaded
in PDF format.
FY 2003-2004 Report to Industry Now Available