From zero to 150 000 tons of high quality animal feed per year in eight years is quite a feat to boast about. This is the exciting growth figure of Novatek Animal Feeds in Lusaka, and they are still growing between 10 and 15% per year! However, volumes are not their only aim. They see themselves as a high quality feed producer with the ambition to sustain agriculture in Zambia by developing the country’s animal feed market.

Today, Novatek has a 20 tonne per hour mixing plant in Lusaka, and another 5 tonnes per hour mash plant (without pilling capacity) from where they are supplying the whole country. This factory is running at full capacity. Two years ago they erected another 20 tonne per hour plant in the Copper Belt, which is now in the commissioning phase. Christiaan Engelbrecht, Novatek’s Commercial Manager, says: “This plant is conveniently situated between our soy bean producers, which means our raw products as well as a significant part of our market are next door. We plan to produce 10 000 tonnes of feed per month for this area.”

Novatek’s raw products are maize, maize bran, wheat bran, soy beans and soy cake, which are delivered at their plants. The wide variety of additional nutrients are imported mainly from South Africa, Brazil and China. “Our latest exciting development is fish feed production, and our one year old plant in Lusaka is pushing full production since the first day it has been commissioned. We have opened an R&D plant on the Zambezi River and we intend to develop the fish food market across the whole country,” Christiaan says.

When the plant started off a year ago, its fish feed production capacity was 350 tonnes per month and they had to run on maximum capacity from day one. Last month they add another mixing plant and now they are extruding pellets at maximum capacity of 750 tons per month. Today they are the volume leader in the country.

Over the years, Novatek established their goat, sheep and beef feed market, which is mainly dealings with concentrates, because farmers have access to raw materials and prefer to mix the rations themselves. They also produce pig feed, but 70% of their output is poultry feed for broilers and layers.

Novatek’s main nutritionist and feed formulator is the General Manager, Walter Roodt. Johan Wolhuter, who is based at the new Chambatata feed mill in the Copper Belt, is in charge of ruminant feeds. “We are a production plant as well as a wholesaler, and we have 91 independent distribution points all over the country. We also supply directly to big farmers who buy more than five tonnes of feed per month,” Christiaan says. Novatek’s strategy is to drive a brand which farmers may trust as one of consistent quality and a stable price.

For more information, contact Christiaan Engelbrecht at 0026 097-877-9052 or send him an e-mail to sales@novatek.co.zm.

Christiaan Engelbrecht, Commercial
Manager, and Steven Ngoma, Stock
Controller, in front of the main 20
tonnes per hour mixing plant of the
Novatek factory in Lusaka.

Arond Banda and Jackson Kombe
are fish feed plant operators. This
extruder was commissioned in
October and had to deliver on full
capacity from day one to meet the
demand.

Lucky Chisala, Production Checker;
Watson Lungu, Lab Technician;
Davison Zulu, Lab Sampler; and
Tulumbe Cheelo, Assistant Quality
Controller make sure that every
batch of feed conforms with Novatek’s
aim of top quality.