Limpopo pushes poultry project
Edwin Tshivhidzo
7 April 2004
The Limpopo provincial government has launched an integrated poultry project at the Lebowakgomo Industrial site that provides jobs to hundreds of workers who were retrenched when the state-owned Agricultural and Rural Development Corporation (ARDC) was closed down.
The provincial department of agriculture said the project would give an added impetus to the growth of the poultry industry in the province.
The Ga-Mashashane/Lebowakgomo project consists of four branches, which were all closed down in 1998 when the ARDC retrenched hundreds of workers.
Two of the branches are situated at Ga-Mashashane village and the other two in Lebowakgomo.
The project started off by training eight workers in rearing breeder chickens that lay eggs for the hatchery. Their chickens now jointly produce 66 000 eggs a week.
The rehabilitated hatchery, which is co-owned by 50 previously retrenched workers together with a strategic partner, buys eggs from
the breeder farmers and hatches 44 000 chicks per week, which are sold to 18 broiler farmers.
The broiler farmers, who raise the day-old chicks from the hatchery for up to six weeks, in turn supply most of the chicks to the abattoir, which is owned by 70 other former workers of the ARDC.
The abattoir, which has been renovated at a cost of R10-million, has the capacity to slaughter 15 000 chickens a day, and also sources chickens from other poultry relief projects around the province.
Department spokesperson Ndo Mangala said other small poultry farmers would also benefit from the project by being provided with a makret to sell their products.
"We want to encourage partnerships for all small poultry farmers in the region," Mangala said.
Source: BuaNews
| 
