Edinburgh, Scotland. – Aviagen® East Africa, our joint venture in Arusha, Tanzania, recently celebrated a significant milestone of over 1 million Ross® 308 parent stock (PS) sales.
The operation was established in 2021 after COVID-19 led to a shortage of PS supply in the region. Since Aviagen East Africa has been in operation, they have been able to supply high-quality Ross 308 breeding stock to all local growers, which has greatly benefited the small-, medium- and large-scale poultry breeding companies within East Africa. The operation has supplied over 25 local producers within the region, some customers being current Ross customers, but a significant number being new Ross customers.
Having invested in a modern chick delivery truck, all deliveries have been made by road, which has meant that the chicks arrive at the farm on time and at a reasonable freight cost. All customers have expressed their satisfaction with the quality of chicks that they have received from the hatchery.
The flocks that have already been placed are performing extremely well and we anticipate that some of our customers are achieving results which will gain them entry into Aviagen’s Ross Breeder Executive Club. The operation has also provided flocks to other African countries and to the Middle East, which highlights the confidence that customers have in the Ross 308 and the quality of the flocks being produced in Aviagen East Africa’s Grandparent (GP) farms.
Aviagen East Africa has intensified its customer support by establishing a local team in the region, enabling more face-to-face assistance. This team is supported by the Türkiye, Middle East and Africa (TMEA) and Global Aviagen support teams, thus providing the world-class customer service that Aviagen is recognized for.
Harold Shoo, Chairman of Harsho Group Limited in Tanzania, discussed the importance of Aviagen East Africa to the region: “The establishment of Aviagen East Africa has been a great achievement for the local poultry industry. Having a local supply base has ensured security of supply, and allowed all producers to receive locally produced, high-quality and affordable poultry breeding stock. The local customer support we receive from the Aviagen East Africa team is extremely valuable for our operation, and is tailor made to suit our requirements. At Harsho Group Limited, we are satisfied with the Ross 308 and look forward to our continued collaboration with Aviagen.”
Abrahim Temu, Administration Manager, Kilacha Agricultural Training Centre, added, “We are extremely happy to work with our local supplier, Aviagen East Africa, in order to source our PS flocks. We look forward to increasing our knowledge and experience with the advice given from the Aviagen customer service teams, that we can apply in our training programs. Having a local supply base in Tanzania is of great benefit to local producers and in encouraging the development of the poultry industry within the East Africa region.”
“On behalf of the Aviagen East Africa team, I’d like to thank all employees and customers for their support and confidence, and for helping us to achieve a remarkable milestone of 1 million PS sales. We are committed to continuously supplying our customers with high-quality PS flocks that provide impressive performance results and return on investment for all of our customers throughout the region,” commented David Bailey, Hatchery and General Administration Manager.