By JUDITH NAMUTOWE –

THE Construction of Ross Breeders Zambia grandparent hatchery in Mazabuka, which is part of the US$17 million expansion project in the country, has reached an advanced stage.
Ross Breeders acting sales manager George Ncube said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the organisation had already put in place the poultries.
Mr Ncube said that construction of the new hatchery had also been done and all that was being awaited for was the installation of machinery.
“We already have six machines in place, but we need to procure some more equipment from Holland,” Mr Ncube said.
Recently, managing director Colin Lindsay said that additional breeder houses would be constructed once the hatchery was completed, to triple Ross Breeders Zambia’s production capacity with the complete relocation of the current grandparent project to the new site at Mazabuka.
This would allow full veterinary compartmentalisation of the facility, which would open new export markets and secure the veterinary status of the flocks.
A greenfield project, the new breeder facility comprises of a dedicated new grandparent hatchery, separate and bio-secure breeder facilities and staff housing.
And company marketing manager Ian Lindsay said once the construction of the grandparent farm whose production is expected to come on stream in January 2015 is completed, Ross Breeders would be able to export to the rest of Africa if required.
“Currently, we have a parent farm in Lusaka, so by isolating our grandparent, we will be able to qualify for right requirements in terms of bio-security, which will enable us export our birds,” he said.
Ross Breeders currently exports to Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The entire expansion project was budgeted to cost $17 million and should provide extra 200 jobs in the poultry sector, together with significant increases in export revenues, as well as providing the local industry with Ross 308 broilers and parents.