More than 30 delegates, representing eight countries, attended the three-day meeting which was a great platform for distributors in the region to participate in discussions and observe presentations aimed at consistently improving Ross product performance in all generations.

The first day provided an opportunity for the distributors to update the audience on the challenges and opportunities facing Ross in their respective markets. The delegates enjoyed listening to experiences from other countries and shared a lot of invaluable insights and advice to ensure Ross remains the breed of choice in their markets.

The second day included three presentations on maximising broiler performance. First up was guest-speaker, Jim Johnston, from Food Chain Partners Worldwide Ltd, who discussed key biological drivers in running an integrated chicken business. David Butler, Senior Technical Advisor, highlighted some aspects of critical age broiler management, including uniformity, variability, population sizes and monitoring and measuring.

Finally, Rik Van Den Bos, Ross veterinarian, gave a presentation on viral diseases prevalent in the region, including infectious bronchitis, Newcastle disease and avian influenza H9. He suggested various ways to control these viral diseases, which included essential biosecurity measures and the application of an effective vaccination programme.

The second day resumed with a workshop, which involved separate teams compiling a product improvement plan using some of the information presented during the DCFT to address the issues they face in their own domestic markets.

The meeting wrapped up on the final day with an interactive round table case study, which involved separate distributor teams generating a list of best practices to solve possible real world problems, maximising their broiler performance and ensuring they continually get best results and economical returns from their Ross stock.

Regional Technical Manager, Puzant Dakessian, commented: "The objective of the three-day event was to stimulate lively dialogue and discussion between the Ross team and our distributors to maximise the long-term partnerships and success of the Ross brand in the region. This event has become vital in the calendar as it is an ideal opportunity to discuss the specific opportunities and challenges of the broiler industry and learn from colleagues across the region. The development and cooperation of everyone in the Ross distributor network is one of the major reasons for the success of the Ross brand in the region."

Delegates at the Antalya meeting