INTEGRI-AGRI (PTY) LTD FREE-RANGE EGG FARMING

Integri-Agri (Pty) Ltd is a free-range egg farm located on the Boschendal Farm in the Stellenbosch area. This farming project was established by Rico Vergotine who oversees all farming operations with other two workers. Integri-Agri’s main objective is to produce the best quality eggs and broiler chickens with no negative impact on the environment. This farm aims to enhance an already existing free-range, pasture-raised operation, producing free-range (organic) eggs for the local supermarkets and restaurants.
The project’s application for funding was approved during a White Meat CPAC meeting for R1 071 000 by the WCDoA’s CASP/ilima Letsema Programme. Constance Makhuvha, Project Manager, was appointed for the co-ordination of project implementation within Casidra.

The funds approved ensured that the project has proper infrastructure for it to operate commercially. This was to be done by procuring a fully constructed mobile coop (a movable chicken cage, which allows the free-range hens to graze over a vast piece of land and glean all the nutrients found therein including the fresh grass shoots, lucerne, bugs, termites and many other natural sources of diet that make the free-range products so nutritious). The other measurable objectives included procuring a Kubota tractor with a detached scoop for pulling the mobile coops and cleaning chicken droppings; procuring an egg grader; and production inputs.

The project currently produces free-range, organic eggs for supermarkets and restaurants in and around the Cape Winelands district. The beneficiary is rearing approximately 2000 free-range layers (not full capacity), as they could not source more birds from the market due to the bird flu challenge. The laid eggs are collected, cleaned and packed according to their grades for the market. The allocated budget was sufficient to meet all the set objectives and the profit earned from egg sales is reinvested into the business to ensure that the birds get sufficient feed.