The Iraq Grandparents Feed Mill opened up for business becoming the 5th feed production plant upgraded to meet international standards under the USAID-Inma Agribusiness Program.
In 2009, the USAID-Inma Agribusiness Program decided that a significant intervention was required for the livestock and protein industries, to improve the quality of animal feeds available to Iraqi producers. To solve the problem 6 feed plants in different provinces were picked out for production improvements.
Up to now, 5 feed plants are functioning and the one is currently being built. Each feed production plant will have production increased to 20,000 MT/year, transforming the livestock industry into a much more competitive and efficient form.
The feed plant situated in Diyala state, will offer a valuable service to the surrounding region as the Iraqi livestock industry presently needs 1.1 million metric ton of animal feed each year. With approximately 425 poultry farms located in Diyala, these poultry farmers will now have handy access to quality poultry feed.
The new feed plant is making quality poultry feed for this local market, in addition to other types of livestock feed.
An USAID-Inma livestock specialist stated, "This feed mill is one of a kind in Diyala, it is located near the border with Baghdad province and thus will be able to service farmers in both provinces. It has a large production capacity (10 tons/hour) and raw material storage"
The USAID-Inma Program is supplying ongoing technical aid to all 6 feed plants, USAID-Inma economists and feed nutritionists have studied each of the 6 feed plants to key out and price the locally available feed ingredients and to prepare balanced feed rations for local producers.
