15 May 2017

The managing director of Copel Rancho chicken abattoir, Ms Cecelia Opelokgale says hygiene is an indispensable necessity in food handling and hence they anchor their operations on cleanliness.
Briefing members of the media who visited her poultry and chicken abattoir recently, Ms Opelokgale said her abattoir’s competitive edge was premised on above board hygiene.
Buoyed by her experience as a veterinary technician, she observed that the poultry abattoir and businesses should subscribe to the highest levels of hygiene, citing that the chicken skin, which some people find delicate, was overly sensitive and highly prone to micro organisms.

It was from her experience and observation on poor handling of chicken that the idea of a poultry abattoir was born. She then sourced some piece of land at Masama to operate from. The abattoir is currently managed by three directors.
While highly optimistic with securing a loan from one of the commercial banks to upgrade her business by purchasing state of the art automated machinery to slaughter 500 birds hourly, Ms Opelokgale reiterated that their operations would be guided by the highest standards of cleanliness.

Despite her optimism to secure a P2 million loan, Ms Opelokgale was, however, cognizant of the banks ‘tight sureties’ for sourcing capital to upgrade to the quicker and less laborious business operations.
The automated machinery in question would have a digital scale with codes given to slaughtered animals and for various poultry farms which, according to the managing director, would be critical during meat inspection and identification.
To further ensure high levels of hygiene at the abattoir, the managing director narrated that they had engaged Botswana Investment and Trade Centre on short courses to empower staff on adhering to the highest levels of hygiene as per company policy.

Though they kill and supply to various institutions, Copel Rancho also slaughters for small poultry farmers. Not only that, the business also buys chickens from small producers. Where they slaughter for small farmers, they provide crates and transport upon request.  Like many businesses, they also have challenges. Top of their challenges are chicken feeds which are expensive to purchase locally.
Furthermore, Ms Opelokgale alleged some underhand tactics by poultry business moguls whom she accused of controlling and manipulating prices to drive small poultry farmers out of business.
She revealed that they had since been allowed to buy chicken feed from South Africa following their letter of complaint to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

She also alleged that the network of rich poultry moguls imported about 230 tons of poultry products into the country masquerading as special deliveries.
The business that sprung from backyard operations was first bankrolled by Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency at around P700 000, the poultry keeps about 3 000 birds and slaughters 800 daily for six days despite being rated at capable of killing 10 000 daily. It also boasts 11 employees. ENDS