CB Group says best chicks but no new breeds at new R&D facility
Published:Wednesday | November 6, 2024 | 12:06 AMNeville Graham/Business Reporter
The Caribbean Broilers Group is promising a shift in best practices as it partners with Irish research company Devenish Nutrition to commission the first R&D facility for growing broiler chickens in a tropical climate in the Americas.
CB Group CEO Matthew Lyn said both partners invested in the infrastructure and buildout of the new facility to the tune of US$1 million but declined comment on the percentage split of the partnership.
Lyn said the facility is aimed at pioneering research and development in order to improve local efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness within a global industry.
Opened on October 25, the facility is based at The Nest, CB Group’s headquarters and eco-industrial park, located at Hill Run in St Catherine. Lyn says the move to establish the facility is a natural progression given that Devenish has been one of his company’s strategic partners for the past 15 years.
“We have benefited greatly from their expert technical advice over the years, and this facility was born out of that relationship,” he told the Financial Gleaner.
The facility will be utilised to scientifically test variables such as feed formulations, housing conditions, and breeds to determine the best combination for the region.
CB Group is hoping to do grounbreaking work at the R&D station, with Lyn referencing the landmark work of Dr T. P. Leckey and the research of many generations ago regarding dairy cows, which led to the Jamaica Hope being created. At the same time, Lyn is emphatic that the project is not about breeding but rather doing research on the existing breeds available around the world.
“We will not see new breeds from the facility, we are not a genetic company, and we will not be doing selections of breeds,” he said.
“What we will have the ability to do is to test which breeds are most suitable for our environment, and more importantly, how they perform with different nutrition types and environmental factors that may be unique to Jamaica,” Lyn added.
He says the initial partnership and trial period with Devenish is for 10 years, but the facility would continue its work beyond that and be a permanent fixture at CB Group, which is a producer of both poultry, other meats, and animal feed.
“As far as we are concerned, from the CBG side, this will now be a standard part of our operation going forward so we can continuously try to improve,” Lyn said.
Noting that Devenish runs facilities like this in other parts of the world and has vast experience in R&D, Lyn said the Irish company would lead lead the design of the research while CB Group would lead the day-to-day operations and management of the facility. He says data, intellectual property, and the benefit of any research would be shared.