October 24, 2016

Aviagen breaks ground for feed processing plant in Oklahoma, US




Construction is currently underway for a new Aviagen® poultry feed processing operation in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, US.

Aviagen broke ground in July this year and expects to open the new facility in August 2017. The facility plans to employ six full-time employees in its initial phase.

Feed purchased from a local mill and mixed to Aviagen's high nutrition standards will be sanitised at the Sallisaw facility using an advanced thermal treatment system known as a hygieniser. The state-of-the-art feed hygieniser manufactured by California Pellet Mill features energy efficiency, along with excellent feed sanitation and conditioning. The end benefit will be maximum feed quality for Aviagen flocks and those of its customers. Once the feed is hygienised, it is cooled, stored and prepared for delivery to Aviagen farms as well as to company-contracted poultry producers in the Oklahoma area.

Aviagen invested US$4.1 million in the facility, which will perform at a production capacity of 500 tonnes weekly, or 26,000 tonnes per year. Feed processed at the Sallisaw facility will be further protected by the strict biosecurity practices and monitoring programmes inherent in all Aviagen facilities. These guidelines are designed to completely isolate feed from atmospheric and other contaminants capable of threatening the quality of feed for the company's broiler breeding flocks.

"Aviagen was the first poultry company in the US to design and build a feed mill that has such high standards for preventing contamination, and we continue this extraordinary level of biosecurity at the Oklahoma feed processing facility," Kevin McDaniel, president of Aviagen North America, said. "By installing this new facility featuring the largest and most biosecure hygienisers ever manufactured, we're keeping up with our growing demand for feed while ensuring the health of our flocks."