Transforming the future of egg production in Southeast Asia

Introducing Indonesia's Cage-Free Innovation and Welfare Hub

Global Food Partners is a Singapore-based a multinational consultancy firm that works with egg producers, food and hospitality businesses, and other key industry stakeholders to achieve successful cage-free production and sourcing in Asia. Global Food Partners, in partnership with Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has launched the first-of-its kind cage-free Hub in Southeast Asia, and is currently building a similar Hub in China.

You might wonder why is it important?

The Cage-Free Innovation and Welfare Hub is located in Kalijeruk Village, Kepanewunan Ngemplak, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which features a training centre and model farm. The Hub was built by the Faculty of Animal Husbandry at UGM in collaboration with Global Food Partners, and Aeres University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Through the Hub, egg producers and other industry stakeholders are able to improve the long-term competitiveness of the egg industry in Indonesia and throughout Asia. The Hub provides practical training in best practices in cage-free management and production, serves as a model farm for cage-free producers, and as a research and development center.

We have formed an industry consortium as part of the Hub. This consortium is a group of industry stakeholders that provide and sponsor products and services for the Hub in Indonesia. Vencomatic is the member providing housing equipment: a single-tier, cage-free aviary system for 3,000 layers. Others are:

• Global Food Partners: Singapore-based consulting firm specializing in cage-free egg sourcing and production. The firm’s cage-free production experts are designing and developing the course content and providing ongoing support and technical expertise for the Hub.
• Universitas Gadjah Mada, Faculty of Animal Sciences: A leading research university in Indonesia, the largest and the first state university in the country. UGM hosted the Hub, and provided land, buildings, infrastructure, staff, daily maintenance, and other resources for this collaboration.
• Aeres University of Applied Sciences: A leading Agricultural University in the Netherlands Together with GFP, Aeres helped design and develop course content and provides ongoing support and technical expertise for the Hub.
• Yogyakarta Marriott: Procured cage-free eggs from the model farm and supported the training of its local egg suppliers through the Hub.
• Hendrix Genetics: leading multi-species animal breeding company that sponsors the farm’s 3000-layer hens, on an annual basis, and supports the model farm on an ongoing basis by providing technical knowledge on keeping laying hens in cage-free housing systems.
• Hato: A leading manufacturer of lighting solutions. Sponsored the lighting system and provided the technical training on lighting for the model farm.

What made you select Vencomatic Group as the partner to support you with the single-tier aviary system?

Vencomatic Group emerged as a natural partner for this project. They have extensive expertise and experience in developing innovative cage-free housing and management solutions for the poultry industry. Vencomatic Group has built a strong reputation for consistently delivering high-quality products and services, further bolstering our confidence in their capabilities. Their commitment to innovation and integration of advanced technologies into their aviary systems made them an ideal fit for our needs.

Moreover, Vencomatic Group's ability to tailor solutions to align with our specific project requirements, along with their dedication to providing comprehensive support and service, greatly influenced our decision-making process. Thoroughly researching and evaluating potential partners is essential, taking into account factors such as expertise, reputation, innovation, customization capabilities, and support services to ensure a successful partnership.

How are we helping you make a success of this pilot?

As our Hub serves as a training center and model farm for egg producers in Asia, we showcase the best practices in cage-free system management. Wim and also product manager Freek have supported us through the first flock, helping us ensure that these best practices are in place, and that the layer hens can successfully navigate the Vencomatic system we use at our model farm.

The staff from Vencomatic has participated in the Hub’s training sessions, readily sharing their knowledge and expertise on cage-free housing management. They answered all the questions given by the participants and assured producers that cage-free production is something that can be implemented in Asian countries, including in Indonesia.