HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – On Nov. 24, global poultry breeding company Aviagen® delivered close to 36,000 day-old chicks to its customer Provita Breeder in Bangladesh. The chicks were hatched at the Aviagen hatchery in Baekke, Denmark, and shipped from Copenhagen Airport (CPH) with Qatar Airways Cargo via Doha. This represents a brand new trade route for Aviagen in its ongoing stride to feed the world with a healthy and accessible source of protein.
Chicks hatched at the Baekke, Denmark, hatchery will now be shipped internationally from the Copenhagen airport, providing greater security of supply to the world’s poultry producers.
New trade route fortifies supply chain
Due to the growing concern of Avian Influenza (AI) and other current and unforeseen future threats to the supply chain, Aviagen is continually seeking ways to strengthen the security of supply – an essential element to feed the world and meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals of Zero Hunger and Good Health and Well-being.
A colder climate and concerns for bird health and welfare have in the past precluded shipment from CPH. However, amid growing AI concerns, Aviagen has taken added measures to ensure the chicks are kept in temperature-controlled conditions from the hatchery to the aircraft. These measures will keep day-old chicks safe and warm, even in the winter months.
CPH has now become a new trade route to transport chicks hatched at Baekke to locations around the world. This represents the first international shipment for Aviagen from CPH. The project has required immense behind-the-scenes preparation.
“Thank you to the Baekke team for going above and beyond to make this shipment happen. You are the “people behind the bird,” and due to your tireless efforts, we have taken another important step in supply security,” said Aviagen CEO Jan Henriksen.
Seamless global cooperation
A global shipment of this magnitude demands harmonious cooperation between multiple supply chain stakeholders – people who coordinate the logistics and make sure bird well-being is protected along every step of the journey. In the case of the shipments from CPH, the following individuals and organizations worked around the clock across multiple time zones to make it happen:
- The Denmark Agricultural Department
- DSV Global Transport and Logistics, Denmark’s freight-forwarding company
- CPH Airport Authorities
- Aviagen Logistics, Export, Veterinary Services and Baekke hatchery teams
- World Flight Services (WFS) global air cargo logistics company
- Menzies Ground Handlers
- Qatar Airways Cargo Operations team
Thanks to the efforts of these people on Nov. 24, close to 36,000 day-old chicks made a successful journey from Baekka Hatchery, to CPH, to their destination in Bangladesh.
“There is great power when people with similar interests join their talents and efforts to meet a common goal,” added Henriksen. “The shared mission of Aviagen and our industry colleagues is to feed the world with sustainable, affordable and nutritious poultry meat. I thank all the dedicated people who have made these shipments a success and paved the way for a new trade route that will help secure the supply of breeding stock to the world’s producers.”
Aviagen Global Senior Officer, Governmental Issues, and Specialist, EU Legislation Jan Buitenhuis was present at the Baekke hatchery for the very first shipment on Nov. 24, while Aviagen’s Global Logistics Manager Sheila Barcsansky and Jose Ocampos, European Airport Supervisor for Aviagen, met the birds at the Copenhagen airport.
“I would like to personally thank Baekka Hatchery Manager Peter Jorgensen, Hatchery Office Manager Eleonora Just for her tireless work to procure the needed health certificates, Qatar Airways Cargo, the freight forwarders, and the many hard-working people who made these shipments possible. I am extremely proud of this achievement,” commented Barcsansky.
“Everyone involved with handling our special cargo was thoroughly trained in their unique needs, and they did a tremendous job,” added Diane Hartjes, Aviagen’s Global Director of Export, Logistics, & Trade Compliance. “We are grateful to them and everyone who went above and beyond, not only to help feed the people in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines, but also to open this crucial new trade route.”
Miguel Moreno, Senior Manager Cargo Climate Control Products at Qatar Airways Cargo said, “Aviagen is an important customer, and we are committed to providing the support necessary to meet the special requirements of transporting day-old chicks. With our extensive network and fleet of belly-hold flights and freighters as well as state-of-the-art climate control centre at the hub in Doha for all transshipments, we are able to offer customers like Aviagen the perfect solution for seamlessly transporting their precious cargo globally and contributing to the sustainability goals to end hunger and provide communities with safe food supplies."