Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Otjivanda Poultry, a Grootfontein-based chicken farm, has greatly benefitted from its acquisition of farming machines from Finland – helping the business to withstand the current economic recession felt in all parts of the country.
The machines, a product of Finnish company Triotec Oy, are particularly conducive for a communal setup as they do not need electricity to optimise production. Otjivanda acquired the technology in September 2016 and its executive director, Stanley Njembo, says it was one of the wisest business decisions he has yet made.
“It is great technology and it has helped us survive the current economic slump. It has saved us electricity costs because it doesn’t need power to operate,” he told New Era recently. Also, the fact that chickens are protected from wild animals – because they are in a secure setup – has also helped boost the business, he said.
Chicken manure is rated highly within the agriculture industry and the technology at Otjivanda provides for swift collection and removal of such manure, which can be sold on. “It’s also hygienic and it’s easy to maintain the facilities. It also has an easily adjustable feed and drinking water line,” Njembo explained.
“The layer system can help produce and accommodate up to 6,000 eggs a month,” he said.
Otjivandja has since been appointed by the Finnish manufacturers as the distributor of its technology in Namibia. The layer machine goes for N$35,000, while the broiler can be acquired at N$32,380, Njembo confirmed.