Established in 1964, Kibaha Education Centre which is 42 kilometres West of Dar es Salaam along Dar es salaam Morogoro Highway shut down its poultry operation in 2011 following a major epidemic where substantial capital was required to restore the existing very old poultry farm.

"Presently the existing components of the poultry operation are either outdated, inappropriate or require major overhaul.

The chicken houses are too small for efficient production, improperly designed for birds’ safety and lack of automated feeding," the Executive Director of the Kibaha Education Centre (KEC) Dr Cyprian Mpemba observed.

According to IPPMedia.com, drinking systems and their building structure are deteriorated. Also the feed-mill, the hatchery and the generators are in poor condition and executive director said it would require a big investment to overhaul and bring again to an operable condition.

According to available figures, production volume of the poultry operation of Kibaha Education Centre just before its shut-down was in the range of 1.5 million day old chick (DOC) per annum.

"On the other hand, the designed plan would raise production to more than 16 million birds each year," Dr Mpemba said.

Effective 2014, local consumption is estimated to grow exponentially to 5-10 per cent reaching 165 million birds by 2021. Poultry consumption in Tanzania grows at higher pace than overall average.

Restoring the poultry operation at the centre is planned to capture only four per cent of the country’s chicken market in the first operational year of 2014 and such market share will increase over eight years period to reach 16 per cent in 2021 if additional investments are made.

According to the KEC boss phase one plans to establish integrated breeder Farm with 2.7 million birds capacity. This phase will commence this year by building new breeder farm houses and renovation of the hatchery, the feed mill and the old breeder farm.

Total investment in this phase amounts to US Dollars 4.9 million. Production will reach 2.74 day old chicks and the phase will create 118 jobs and offered mainly to residents of Kibaha.

The establishment of poultry operation in Kibaha including restoration of the old farm will bring about numerous advantages to Kibaha community, local residents and overall economy of the country, according to Dr Mpemba.

Nonetheless, Kibaha will once again shine on the agriculture and industrial map of Tanzania pausing as an icon for high quality chicken derivative products.

The second phase to start in 2016 with a total investment of 8.85 million US Dollars will establish integrated breeder farm with 7.3 million birds capacity including new feed mill facility and hatchery facility.

This phase will create 98 additional jobs mainly for residents of Kibaha area.
The third phase will commence in 2018 and would commission integrated operator of breeder farm, broiler farm as well as processing plant (slaughter house).

It will also bring Kibaha Education Centre which has a land area of 1,357 hectares, for the first time to the field of producing fresh and frozen high quality chicken products.

A total investment of 30.9 million US Dollars will be used and the production capacity will reach 0.14 million birds representing 12 per cent of the market share.

Upon completion of the phase III will create 358 jobs filled mainly by residents of Kibaha area.

Phase four will bring the processing plant into the poultry operations at Kibaha Education Centre by producing a variety of added value raw, semi-cooked and cooked products such as sausage, burger, nuggets, shish and the like.

The total investment will amount to US Dollars 7.5 million US Dollars while creating 109 jobs for resident of Kibaha area.

Activities in this phase include putting in place a breeder farm with six houses with ancillaries, overhauling of old hatchery, renovation of existing feed mill.

Others are putting in place two generators with 300KV each together with providing accommodation to 30 staff members. There will also be a construction of a medium tank of 500 cubic metres and a fleet of seven trucks with medium vehicles and a management office among many other activities.

Organia is limited liability company based in Tanzania with a mission to invest in agriculture and food processing the quality and affordability of livestock, food and agriculture products offered to local consumers.

The long-term plan for the company includes different interrelated sectors such as cultivation of crops, cattle growing, dairy production, food processing and poultry operation.

With strong personnel base it has similar projects in the Middle and the Gulf countries while applying worldwide best practice and latest US-European technology.

The market for non-traditional chicken has relatively increased after the government had recorded supper markets to stop importing chicks.

The news of the re-introduction of poultry industry in the centre has already filtered in the centre’s neighbouring villages. Villagers have hailed the move hoping that their lives would soon improve by engaging "if the company would also give them support in entering the poultry industry."

"We still remember those good days when here in Kibaha there were five families in every ten which were keeping poultry. They asked the management of the investors to help them in engaging in the poultry business "in what ever way."

For every ten houses in Kibaha almost five had a shelter for rearing Tumbi chicks. When the project died we also died economically," Mohamed Juma of Maili Moja area noted.

A Mwarakani sub-village Executive Secretary in Kibaha, Victoria Mlolele on hearing the news of the re-introduction of the poultry keeping over the radio and TV said the move is a blessing to the people of Kibaha especially the women.

"In African tradition women are poultry keepers. The coming of the project would therefore revamp the economic wellbeing of many families. We remember the days when the centre was providing us with eggs and chicks for rearing," she said.

A former Assistant Manager in the Poultry Department, Benedict Matta said that he has received news that poultry at the centres would be restored with great expectations.

Matta who lives at Kwa-Mbonde area in the district said as a person who dealt most with marketing in the poultry department at the centre in those days said poultry keeping was a very lucrative business for the people of Kibaha and hoped the company would provide an opportunity for residents also to engage in the business.

"So many families were engaged in poultry keeping and could therefore meet their financial obligations like sending their children good schools," he said.

Such sentiments were also expressed by the Minister of State, Prime Minister’s office- Regional Administration and Local Government, Hawa Ghasia when she graced the signing ceremony of a agreement between the Kibaha Education Centre and the Organia company in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

She said the advent of the company would greatly improve the poultry industry in the country and in Kibaha in particular.

"Our youth will have employment opportunities which also learning modern poultry husbandry," she said.

"We expect that many people especially the youth would get employment in project," she said.

On his part the Chairman of the Organia Company Ltd, Amr Taher said his company was all out to make the project achieve its goals.
He said his organization has a long experience in poultry industry and hoped that his company will regenerate poultry industry in the country.

Organia is limited liability company based in Tanzania with a mission to invest in agriculture and food processing, the quality and affordability of livestock, food and agriculture products offered to local consumers.

On the other hand the Kibaha Education Centre is a multi-purpose educational institution located at Tumbi area, Kibaha District, Coast Region, some 40 kilometers (24 miles) West of Dar es Salaam along Morogoro Road.

The centre started in 1963 funded by five countries – the then Tanganyika government on one hand and four Nordic countries on the other. These are Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The centre was known as the Nordic Tanganyika Project until 1970 when the four Nordic countries handed it over to Tanzania government. The Nordic Tanganyika Project then became Kibaha Education Centre (KEC).

The overall objective of the Centre as originally conceived was, through its institutions, to launch a three frontal attack on the problems of poverty, ignorance and diseases- dubbed as main development enemies. Indeed the new poultry project by Organia Company Limited is a move towards that goal.