April 25, 2008

Iraq imports eggs to rebuild poultry industry
 

Iraq's chicken hatchery in Mahmudiyah has received its first of three shipments of eggs for incubation after eight months of preparation and planning.

The first shipment contained 35,000 eggs from the Netherlands.

Eggs from the Netherlands are chosen as their chicks have a faster growing rate and they are healthier than Iraqi chickens, according to army major Alaric Robinson.

The next two shipments are expected to bring in 30,000 eggs each, according to army captain Benjamin Neusse.

About 95,000 chicks are expected to be hatched with a survival rate of 90 percent.

The Iraqi government is supporting the redevelopment of the poultry industry through its support for the Mahmudiyah Qada poultry association, which would use the eggs to reopen poultry farms, said army captain Paul Hester.

The funds are currently provided by the Commander's Emergency Relief Program, although the Iraqi government is working to fund the program with its own money.

"We are working with the government of Iraq to get a boost in fuel allocations and assistance in bringing in the basic requirements to provide a chicken feed mill," Hester said.

The project is expected to last three to four months, during which all the eggs would have been hatched, said Neusse.