By Nanai. T. Laveitiga Tuiletufuga

The Tanumapua farm may become the biggest poultry farm in the near future.

And the target by farm owner and businessman Taimalie Charlie Westerlund is chicken import substitution. To reduce chicken imports by 50%.

“Samoa imports 60 containers of chicken meat every month.�?

And Taimalie wants half of those containers slashed. To be replaced by home-grown chicken products and by-products.

He is using the success of his Tanumapua poulry farm which, he says, now accounts for 75% of local egg retail.

“The egg farm is proof that producing our own chicken can be done.

“Our eggs are of a higher and healthier quality and, certainly much more fresher than imported eggs. And prices we are offering are very reasonable too.�?

But for chicken meat to take off, Taimalie says he’ll need to bring in chicken bred specifically for its meat.

“We only have layers at the moment. But it is not our main concern. What is more challenging is securing a local source of chicken feed.

“We import six containers of feed every month which is quite expensive.

“To reduce those costs. We want to produce chicken feed using local crops such as corn. Tests have proven corn to be the perfect ingredient for chicken feed.

“And we are seriously looking at reviving the corn industry and other similar crops that can produce overall feed costs. It’s very achievable from our standpoint.�?

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