Pussalla Meat ties up with France’s Hubberd Breeders

Indunil HEWAGE

Sri Lankan poultry industry margins have been affected due to the increase in the monthly chicken production capacity of 8.5 million in the first half of 2012. For the last few months, the industry has moved into a different set up and the prevailing dry weather condition in Sri Lanka coupled with worldwide Soya bean shortage have doubled the magnitude of the problem, Pussalla Meat Producers Managing Director Dilshan Wewita told Daily News Business.

Sri Lanka poultry industry is becoming a mature industry like Malaysia where industries have to work with thin margins and volumes. Those who produce at lower costs will survive; However this is just a temporary issue and the industry will get back to normalcy in another two to three years.

Pussalla Meat Producers is the only vertically integrated poultry company in Sri Lanka with the largest hatchery which has the capacity to produce three million chicks per month. Currently the company is on a one billion expansion drive to cater to the country’s demand for chicken products and carve a niche in every segment in the poultry industry. According to Wewita, the company will go ahead in new areas to streamline the ongoing investment procedures. In addition, the company has partnered with French company “Hubberd Breeders to produce the country’s requirement of parent stock and the first flock of grand parent is due to arrive in Sri Lanka by the end of October.

With this partnership, Pussalla will cater to 40 % country’s requirement of parent stock. This initiative will assist in curtailing the large amount of money that is continually draining out to other countries to import grandparent stocks every year. Pussalla is also looking at possibilities to export hatching eggs of grandparent stock to Bangladesh and Nepal in the years ahead.