BUUMBA CHIMBULU writes
ZAMBEEF plans to expand its production capacity of day-old-chicks to one million a week from the current 600,000 says deputy managing director Walter Roodt.
Mr Roodt said the company through its Zamhatch branch aimed to expand its production to remain a reliable supplier of day-old-chicks at its Mpongwe farm.
He said in a statement that the company was completing the first half of the expansion phase, which was getting to the 500,000 – 600,000 per week capacity.
“We have plans to grow our production to a point where we can produce a million chicks a week at our Mpongwe farm alone. From there we are delivering to our commercial chicken rearing sites like ZamChick to service our consumers,” Mr Roodt said.
Almost half of Zamhatch chicks are sold into the small scale market, through the Zambeef macro outlets as well as a network of Novatek agents countrywide.
“The fact that we have branched out and are able to reach all corners of the country – bringing quality chickens bred with the best technology from around the world to Zambian customers through our retail network, is really gratifying,
“There have been many challenges in getting to this point but I am proud to say that the team has really pulled through, and through the Cobb Champions award have demonstrated that we can take on anyone in the world,” Mr Roodt said
The company serves in excess of 15,000 small-scale farmers countrywide.
The remaining chicks were supplied into the group’s ZamChick broiler operations, where approximately two thirds of broilers were reared by out-growers and at Zambeef’s Huntley farm in Chisamba.