March 29, 2021

 

Aviagen establishes Aviagen East Africa Limited

 

 

Aviagen is expanding its local reach and global footprint within Africa by establishing Aviagen East Africa Limited.

 

The company is a joint venture between Aviagen, African Poultry Development Limited (APDL) and Country Bird Holdings Limited (CBH). Aviagen East Africa Limited will consist of a greenfield project where it will build new grandparent (GP) farms and a parent stock (PS) hatchery in Tanzania. This will enable Aviagen East Africa to supply high quality breeding stock to both current and future customers in this important and expanding territory.

 

The potential for increasing poultry production and consumption in East Africa is immense and the investment will aid in this expansion, Aviagen said.

 

Tanzania was a prime, strategic choice for the development as it is well placed geographically in an environment ideal for poultry production.

 

The investment in new facilities will also ensure security of supply to all Aviagen's customers in the region. Being closer to the company's PS customers will allow Aviagen to deliver chicks by truck, and hence, significantly reduced logistical times. This will play a major role in achieving Aviagen's sustainability goals and enhancing its welfare standards, the company explained.

 

It added: "Our local teams will provide additional support to our PS customers and will work closely with Aviagen's network of global specialists, to enable us to deliver the best possible customer service to the Eastern Africa region."

 

Tanbreed and CBH share a similar aspiration with Aviagen to ensure Africa is provided with a sustainable source of protein for the foreseeable future while also producing a number of employment opportunities for the local population.

 

Both companies have already shown a strong commitment to the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and will continue to do so with the new investment.

 

"Population growth and macroeconomic improvements are driving the demand for chicken meat. It is important for Aviagen to supply and service their customers from a local production base and be able to provide a secure food supply," Aviagen said.

 

"The continent of Africa is very dynamic, diverse and is continuously growing. Aviagen is the world's leading poultry breeding company and with the establishment of this new operation in East Africa, we are expanding our presence and our footprint in the region," said Tom Exley, Aviagen's president of Turkey, Middle East and Africa (TMEA).

 

"The population of Africa is increasing each year and this regional production base means we can provide local employment opportunities for people who understand the local business requirements and speak the local language, but most importantly, we can continue to feed the world and provide a sustainable source of protein."

 

Jack Searle, managing director of CBH Africa operations, said: "We have been working with Aviagen for over 25 years and already have a successful history in developing PS markets in Africa. This is an exciting opportunity and I look forward to working alongside APDL and Aviagen to further develop the East Africa region together."

 

"We have always had a good relationship with Aviagen and have been working with them for a number of years, and we are really excited about this new project with Aviagen and CBH. We believe that this investment will be of huge benefit to the poultry industry in the region, as this allows us to further enhance the supply chain and ensure we are fulfilling the growing demands for poultry meat within Africa," said Alan McKittrick, executive chairman of APDL.

 

- Aviagen