Olam targets Dec for chicks’ production, releases feed varieties to markets
The take off of the production of day-old chicks for commercial purposes at Olam Poultry Farm and Feed Mills in Kaduna has been shifted to December. The plant was commissioned by President Muhammad Buhari in September.
Olam’s Vice President, Corporate and Government Relations, Ade Adefeko, who confirmed this to Daily Trust, however, said the company had started the production of variety of poultry feeds which are now available in markets nationwide.
He did not, however, give reason why production of day-old chicks is yet to start at the company but said they were working to kick start the production towards the end of next month.
“Yes, currently we produce only feed but we hope to produce day- old chicks around end of December 2017,” he said.
Our correspondents, who visited the plant in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, situated on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway, observed that work has commenced at the factory with the production of chicken feeds and that farmers and other dealers in poultry products have started patronising the plant.
As at the time our correspondents visited the company, about 10 trailers were seen waiting to load feeds and others offloading raw materials for production.
The products already in the market include Chikun feed mash which, according to our findings, is supplied to wholesalers at N3,130 who in turn retail at N3,180.
Others, like Chikun grower mash are sold to dealers at N2,700 who resell at N2,750 and pre-layer mash which goes for N2,900.
Layer mash 1 goes for N2,930; Layer mash 2, N2,900, B. Super starter, N3,670; Starter mash N3,620 and Finisher mash N3,570.
Other products in the market, like the Hybrid feeds is sold for N3,320, Grower mash, N2785, Chicken mash N3300: Super starter mash, N3,675; Finisher mash, N3,605, layer concentrate N3,320, Grower concentrate, N2,670 and Broiler concentrate N4,750.
Finisher concentrate costs N9,470, Layer concentrate N3, 650 and pre layer N2,950.
This is in contrast with Vita feeds, with its starter feed sold for N4,000, grower mash N3,500 and finisher N4,000 in Abuja markets.
On how the products are faring in the market, Mr. Ade Adefeko said, “Very well and we are getting many repeat orders. Farmers are happy with the product as well as the price.”
The Olam farm is said to be capable of producing 1.6 million day-old chicks weekly and 360,000 metric tonnes of animal feed annually.