VERINO INVESTS K5000 000 IN NEW TOOLS

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 14:48:06 +0000

…move to reduce imports of mechanically deboned meat

By Buumba Chimbulu

VERINO Agro Industries Limited and Country Choice Chicken have commissioned and installed a K5 million Mechanical Meat Separator at their chicken processing plant near Lusaka aimed at meeting the up to 600 tonnes Mechanically Deboned Meat (MDM) which Zambia imports monthly.

According to Verino Agro Industries limited managing director, Simon Wilde, the 600 tons of MDM which Zambia was importing owing to lack of mechanical meat separator was equal to approximately 300,000 chickens per month or 3,600,000 birds per year.

Mr. Wilde said this original approach would lead to the creation of over 15 employment opportunities in the processing plant directly and would ensure the introduction of traceable and healthy meat into the Zambian retail sector.

 “The commissioning of this machine was in response to the growing amount of MDM that is being imported to Zambia from foreign countries and the potential disease threat this poses to Zambian chickens,

“As a commitment to Zambian agriculture Verino Agro Industries Ltd and Country Choice Chicken have made the innovative decision to invest K5m on an expansion to their processing plant and the procurement of the Mechanical Meat Separator to produce MDM only from their Zambian grown chickens,” he said.

He said in an interview that Verino Agro Industries limited and Country Choice Chicken would promote agriculture and employment through installation of the machine.

Mr. Wilde said it was considered that the average small scale farmer grow 150 chicks this means 2000 farmers potentially without an income.

“If then one considers the feed that the 300,000 chickens would have eaten this equates to 1200 tons per month meaning that possibly 6500 tons of Maize and 3000 tons of Soya per annum are not grown in Zambia,” he said.

He said the cultivation and subsequent milling of these lost crops would lead to a large increase in employment opportunities throughout the country, thus contributing to poverty alleviation in many rural areas.

“At present there are proven outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in South Africa and Zimbabwe (both of whom allow the importation of all chicken products) and recent studies have shown that pathogens can be transmitted by MDM,” he said.