Aviagen and its grandparent (GP) customer PPR Broiler recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its successful working partnership to supply Belarus with Ross parent stock (PS). The partnership has seen years of cooperation and seminars, while Aviagen helped PPR build a brand new Ross GP operation with a high level of biosecurity, currently producing 1.8 million Ross PS per year for the Belarusian market.
To celebrate the success of Ross in Belarus, PPR Broiler and directors of key Belarusian PS operations travelled to Aviagen's premises in Edinburgh to see the Ross achievements in Europe and to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Aviagen research and development program. They were also presented with an award to commemorate five years' successful cooperation.
"After almost three years of preparations, the first Ross 308 GP delivery was placed in October 2008 in Belarus," said Tyark Osterndorff, business development director at Aviagen. "It has always been a pleasure working with PPR and the Belarusian poultry industry and to observe the outstanding performance of Ross 308 on parent stock and broiler farms, which are so well operated and managed by our customers. I would like to express my thanks and congratulations to all our partners in Belarus."
Visitors to Aviagen in Edinburgh were given an update on the latest genetic trends of Ross that they enjoy in their own GP stock as well as a tour of Aviagen farms and trials facilities. During the visit, Agrocombinat Dzerzhinsky was presented with a Ross 400 Club award, for a record of over 40 instances of achieving a European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) over 400.
"During our visit to Aviagen we saw again that the Ross bird's genetic improvements are on the right path and our task is to realise its genetic potential," said Valentina Fesina, director of Agrokombinat Dzerzhinsky, who accepted the award. "Our visit was very interesting and was well-organized.
"A major highlight of the trip was receiving the Ross 400 Club award. This award illustrates that Ross results in Belarus can easily excel the standard in Western Europe. It is recognition of the professionalism and the skill of people working in Belarus with Ross birds. Apart from all this we completely fell in love with beautiful Scotland."
