In the recently held "Hatchery of the Year" competition implemented by Ceva, RCL FOODS' H3 broiler hatchery in KwaZulu-Natal was named the overall winner with an outstanding score of 97%. Second and third places saw a tight competition with only a 0.13% difference between the second placed Hukuru and third placed Charles Steward town hatchery - both from Zimbabwe -  who were commended for their superior management involvement, equipment care and focus on quality control measures as set out by the C.H.I.C.K Programme. The winners received a certificate, floating trophy and Ceva jackets at an informal braai held on 9 February 2016.

Why this competition?

According to Ceva's Chris van Biljon, there are mainly two reasons why "Hatchery of the Year” which forms part of their C.H.I.C.K programme, was implemented. Firstly, their customers wanted to know how they benchmark against the rest in the industry and secondly, with the available auditing data from the CHICK APP, Ceva wanted to share this with other role players in the industry. It was also the ideal opportunity to establish some healthy competition within the industry whilst motivating the relevant personnel to improve even beyond what is considered acceptable standards.

Thirty-eight broiler hatcheries were selected to take part in the competition. Criteria used were: frozen vaccine preparation (Vectormune^® HVT-ND); vaccination techniques; dosing accuracy; equipment care and chick and embryo quality. Lastly, ownership in respect of quality control, a dedicated supervisor, control over spares and consumables, drive improvement plan and chick flow, also contributed to the success of the winning hatchery.

Albert Majozi, Hatchery Manager at KZN H3 said: "Despite the challenges, we were able to achieve our goal of becoming the best hatchery - all due to the commitment and energy of the team:·RCL FOODS' Divisional Agricultural Manager in KZN, Alan Reddy, added: "This team consistently enjoys new challenges and their positive attitude paves the way for their success.

The CH.I.CK Programme Application

At present the C.H.I.C.K Program allows more precise decision-making with the introduction of a new application and all of Ceva's 60+ hatchery technicians are now equipped with tablets that use new technology to record and measure all critical data from the vaccination process, allowing for better informed decisions.

Commenting on the introduction of the new service,  Ceva's Services Director, Dr  Pascal Anjot said: "Beyond innovative vaccines, Ceva brings customers new decision-making tools for improving the vaccination quality and producing better quality chicks. Thanks to the C.H.I.C.K programme app, our teams can work together with hatchery managers to really add value to our partners' businesses.

Alan Reddy also commented and thanked Ceva on their outstanding professionalism and support and their willingness to embrace new ideas and doing things differently. "RCL FOODS is proud to be partnering with Ceva. Being the best hatchery is certainly a proud moment. Thank you to all who have been instrumental in assisting in the process towards achieving this outstanding achievement:'

Chris concluded: "We must not forget the role that the Ceva Vaccination Services and Equipment team played in the successes of 2015. They remained true to Ceva's values of customer passion, entrepreneurial spirit, solidarity and innovation.