Zambeef Plc has announced plans to set up a US$250 million hatchery in Mpongwe to produce one million day-old chicks per week, reports UKZambians.

According to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the planned hatchery would employ latest technology to produce more chicks to meet growing demand in the country.

“The proponent Zambeef Plc proposes to inject an investment of US$250 million and the proposed project is within the existing Zambeef’s Mpongwe farms on the South-Eastern side,” stated the EIA submitted to the Zambia Environmental Management Agency. “The proponent is targeting production capacity of around one million day-old chicks per week using latest incubation technology.”

Zambeef, the country’s largest integrated agribusiness, last February sold 49 per cent of the Zamchick subsidiary to South Africa’s chicken processor and marketer, Rainbow Chicken for US$14 million.

“The Zamchick project will be a poultry project that will be based on the farm called Zambeef Mpongwe farm,” according to the EIA. “Currently, there is no chicken operations in Mpongwe but the plan is to develop and equip the farm with poultry houses, laying of eggs, hatching and chicken abattoir.”

According to the UKZambians report, the Mpongwe project will also include a processing plant for feedstock, feeding mills, workers’ houses and office blocks.

“The overall company objective is to continue with diversification distribution and sale of poultry products,” stated the EIA.