September 3, 2020

Aviagen: Latvian poultry company recognised for excellent performance

PF Kekava, Latvia's only integrated poultry company and an Aviagen Kft Ross customer, continues to climb the ladder of performance excellence.

Over the past years, the company has seen steady improvement in key performance indicators such as feed conversion ratio (FCR), growth rate and European Performance Efficiency Factor (EPEF). Kekava was welcomed into the Ross 400 Club five years ago, and in July 2020, 17 of its farms reached an average EPEF of 421. To award its consistency in excellence, Aviagen Kft will present a certificate of achievement as soon as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Aviagen said.

Balázs Takács, general manager of Aviagen Kft, explained that Kekava's accomplishments can be attributed to hard work, commitment and exceptional management skill. "It is an honor to work with Kekava, and I'm truly impressed by their growth and success. Their results tell of the progress and diligence of Kekava in maximising the genetic potential of the Ross 308 bird."

Saulius Petkevičius, a member of the Kekava board, attributed the ongoing improvement to the teamwork and motivation of his people, as well as the company's investment in and dedication to biosecurity and bird health and welfare.

"The nature of our company, with a full production cycle from grain to fork, gives us a definite advantage in traceability of all the processes, which are dedicated to healthy birds. We were the first company in the region to raise our flocks without antibiotics, and, for over a year, 100% of our flocks have been healthy and not required treatment," Petkevičius said.

- Aviagen