July 16, 2018

Aviagen hosts third DCFT meeting in Zambia

Press release

Sharing his thoughts on the event, Robert Haggarty, Senior Technical Manager, Ross, MEA, Aviagen, said:

"The meeting was a great forum for PS and broiler customers from the Sub-Saharan Africa region to come together and share their experience. It provided a unique opportunity for everyone to share existing knowledge and develop new skills. Moreover, this year's conference was particularly hands-on, with delegates finding the interactive sessions invaluable for gaining insights into customer perspectives and opinions."

Sharing experience and know-how

Many of the delegates were staff members from Ross Zambia broiler and feed outlets – and having been comprehensively trained in broiler management, biosecurity and vaccination rules, they enthusiastically participated in wide-ranging discussions, which included the genetic potential and excellent performance traits of Ross birds.

Ross MEA and Ross Africa customer support teams also gave joint presentations that focused on the success of Ross birds in the region and how the team can help maximise performance and eventual customer revenue through seminars, workshops and road shows.

Integral elements of the PS section of the conference were feed and nutrition, with samples of different feeds and ingredients being shown to delegates who were encouraged to examine them in detail.

Other discussions included management and veterinary topics particularly emphasising on obtaining the best flock performance under African conditions through the use of open-sided housing, heat stress reduction techniques, and basic house set-up processes that took into account local conditions.

There were also delegate workshops, in which groups found solutions to problem scenarios and presented their results to fellow attendees.

Mr. Rivo Andriamanalina, the owner of Activo, commented, "This year's event was my first Ross Africa DCFT conference, and I enjoyed the stimulating discussions on such a wide range of flock management and business subjects. I was also impressed by the level of knowledge displayed in the room."