Chick production to top 10 m

Indunil HEWAGE

Local chick production is projected to rise up to 10 million per month by the end of 2012 due to changing consumer buying behaviours, booming tourism industry and post war economic rebound. Local poultry has also seen a moderate growth during the last couple of years and we expect to retain this growth by the end of this year, Pussalla Meat Producers Managing Director Dilshan Wewita said.

Pussalla Meat is the only vertically integrated poultry company in Sri Lanka and the monthly chick production of the company is 1.4 million. By the end of 2012, the company is expected to produce 2 million chicks per month. With that, Pussalla will be able to increase its market share up to 30 percent in the respective segment. Pussalla is on one billion investment drive to increase the production capacity of egg hatchery and other related segments. As a part of its rapid investment plan, company entered into a strategic collaboration with the Hubberd breeders France to produce parent stock in Sri Lanka.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 300 million and the first grand parent flock are to be imported to Sri Lanka by August. The 60 percent of the county’s requirement of parent stocks will be produced by Pussalla Meat though the joint venture project. Sri Lanka has continually been importing parent stocks and with the new initiative, we will be able to curtail a large amount of foreign exchange that is draining out to various countries.

'In addition, we have been able to reduce the cost of the production to some extent since most of the inputs required to manufacture feeds are available in Sri Lanka. Maize is the main ingredient used to manufacture chicken feeds and government has provided more concessions to maize growers in the country, this has benefited the poultry industry to a great extent.