The U.S. poultry industry is returning to profitability as fast food restaurants are promoting chicken dishes and consumers are opting for lower-priced sources of protein. Record high beef prices have pushed supermarket sales of chicken higher – a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report shows benchmark breast prices are up 36% from a year ago and poultry companies are expecting a profitable year. The USDA predicts a 2% increase in production this year from 2012 and a 3% increase for 2014.