The Kenya Meat Commission is in the process of replacing old machinery to improve the plant’s production, says the company’s Managing Commissioner Joseph Learamo.
Mr Learamo said the company’s abettors were run by old machinery that had been installed 66 years ago when KMC was established in 1950s.
He said the old state of the machines had resulted to low production of between 300–400 large stalks and between 1,000 and 1,200 small stalks in a single day.
Learamo said several investors both local and international had shown interests and were visiting the plant to inspect the machines with intent of helping in their overhaul and replacements.
“Today we are hosting investors from Netherlands here at KMC, Athi River plant, they came to inspect status of the factory in terms of machinery conditions and capacity,” said Learamo.
Learamo said the overhaul was part of the firm’s modernization process that was already underway under implementation of the company’s Turn Around Strategic Development Plan.
He said the investors from four different companies dealing in supplies of slaughtering, rendering and waste water treatment equipment, cold rooms and refrigeration systems and poultry processing systems had seen the old machines and were ready to help replace them.
“The experts have looked at our old chain management systems, we will collaborate in areas each investor has interests in,” said Learamo.
The companies included TransNational Agri Projects B.V, Mavitec, Foodmate Poultry Processing Systems and Celtic Cooling, all based in Netherlands.
Learamo said the company will adversely increase production once refurbished thereby opening up opportunities to strategic investors.
“We need investors to produce cans for canning meat that is our greatest challenge currently, they will not only sell them to KMC but also other companies which produce meat and fish,” said Learamo.
He said the entire modernization process will end by the year 2020.
“By 2020 we will have modern technologies of handling livestock products especially poultry, one of the production processes we have never done here,” said Learamo.
Learamo addressed the press at KMC's Athi River plant during the visit on Tuesday.