As an integrated poultry company, the operations of CIC Feeds Group include the manufacturing of compound feeds, breeder farms, hatchery, broiler farms and processing plant.

With plans to expand its breeder business, the company will increase production with a further 400,000 day-old chicks per week, to meet rising demand both in its own broiler farms and for supply to customers.

Mr Lal Silva

Mr Lal Silva, Managing Director of CIC Feeds Group, said: “For solid, sustained growth, we have looked at the latest Modular, single-stage technologies to deliver robust, uniform day-old-chicks that support our plans throughout the integration, as well as increasing efficiencies in our hatchery operations.

“In choosing Pas Reform, we have an incubation partner that understands our challenges and opportunities for the future, with SmartPro™ hatchery technologies that meet all of our criteria for quality, increased production and energy savings.”

As an integrated operation, says Mr Silva, it has become imperative to exploit the full genetic potential of modern chicken breeds, which is made possible by modular, single stage incubation practices.

The company has chosen 12 SmartSetPro™ setters and 12 SmartHatchPro™ hatchers, in combination with Pas Reform’s SmartTray™ 162 setter tray with space saving honeycomb design, for improved cost per hatch. The new hatchery is nearing completion and will be fully operational in the third quarter of this year.

The Group’s General Manager, Ajith Weerasinghe and his team have set high standards for the new hatchery, which is expected to be one of the best in Sri Lanka.

He said: “Overall hatch quality, performance and the savings we can realise, both in improved feed conversion in the broiler chicks and in the reduced electrical energy consumption of Pas Reform’s SmartPro incubators, will make our new hatchery one of the most efficient and profitable in Sri Lanka.”