The Tanzanian poultry industry is gearing up for the introduction of Cobb 500 broiler chickens by a new breeding partnership between Irvines Tanzania Limited and Tyson Foods of the United States of America.

Irvines Tanzania Managing Director Pietro Stella said the Sh32 billion poultry farm in the Kilimanjaro region will use the latest technology to produce quality chicks for the local and regional market.

“We will breed the best quality chicks of the day, using the latest technology,” Stella told journalists during a tour of the new facility. The first phase’s production target is 250 000 chicks per week, while the second phase of implementation will see production double to 500 000 chicks a week.

The 500 ha breeding facility will draw heavily from the experience of Tyson Foods, a well-established global player in the processing and marketing of meat and meat products.

International chicken breeders and meat processors are moving to set up inside Tanzania following the recent government ban on the import of chickens and chicken products. The move was meant to stop the spread of avian influenza and protect the local poultry industry from unfair external competition.

Despite making some strides in commercialising the poultry industry, traditional chicken breeding still accounts for more than 70% of chicken production in Tanzania.

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