December 1, 2016

Pas Reform: Organia to revitalise Tanzania's poultry industry

Tanzania's top poultry specialist Organia has chosen Pas Reform as its partner for an economic regeneration project that will transform a regional production centre into a leading supplier of day-old chicks.

Founded as part of an international aid project in 1963, the Kibaha Education Center, west of Dar es Salaam, was forced to close five years ago following a serious poultry epidemic. Formerly the site of Tanzania's leading poultry operation, Kibaha was a major local employer, supplying chicks to local families, farmers and businesses and producing 1.5 million day-old chicks per year.

Its shutdown caused a great deal of local hardship, but Organia's plans will see Kibaha grow in phases over the next five years, to have a 16% share of Tanzania's poultry market with the production of 16 million chicks per year by 2021.

First phase investment has included a complete overhaul of the existing operation, with new breeder and broiler sites, a feed mill, processing and a new hatchery, designed by Pas Reform.

The hatchery is equipped with state of the art SmartPro™ setters and hatchers, with full HVAC control (climate control) to ensure that an optimal hatchery environment is maintained throughout the year. Demonstrating a relatively high level of automation by African standards, the hatchery has been designed with future expansion in mind. With a first phase setting capacity of 153,000 eggs per week, phase 2 will be 230,000 per week and there is the possibility of doubling that capacity in the future.

Organia, part of Taher Overseas, is a well-established poultry operation that focuses on bio-safety and ethical breeding in a region that struggles to meet international standards. The company's mission is to invest in agriculture and food processing in Tanzania, both through company expansion and in partnerships with small-scale local out-growers, with whom Organia shares knowledge and provides technical support, while supplying day-old chicks and quality feed.

The launch phase has already created more than 100 local jobs - a number expected to increase to over 500 by 2021. In addition, the hatchery will help to reignite opportunities for small-scale poultry rearing in the region. Mwarakani sub-village Executive Secretary in Kibaha Victoria Mlolele remembers the days when the centre was providing eggs and chicks for rearing. This investment is, according to her, a blessing to the people of Kibaha - especially the women. "In African tradition, women are poultry keepers. This project will therefore revamp the economic wellbeing of many families".

Organia's chairman Amr Taher said his company has longstanding experience in the poultry industry and will work hard to ensure that the Kibaha project achieves its goal of regenerating the country's poultry industry. "In a year's time, Organia will be producing 10.5 million chickens a year and we will double this output annually until 2021," Taher added. "This growth will help pave the way for the expansion of our poultry business in East Africa."

- Pas Reform