The partnership was announced during the Saudi AgriFood Tech Alliance (SAFTA) Forum on November 4, 2025.

In a major step toward sustainable agriculture and climate innovation, Tanmiah Food Company, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading poultry producers, has joined forces with Strataphy, a pioneer in geothermal cooling technology, to establish the Middle East and North Africa’s first geothermal-cooled poultry farm.

The groundbreaking pilot project will be located at Tanmiah’s Shaqrah Facility, marking a significant milestone in the region’s journey toward agricultural decarbonization.

The partnership was announced during the Saudi AgriFood Tech Alliance (SAFTA) Forum on November 4, 2025, under the patronage of His Excellency Eng. Mansour Hilal Al Mushaiti, Vice Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

Zulfiqar Hamadani, CEO of Tanmiah Food Company, emphasized that innovation and sustainability form the core of Tanmiah’s long-term vision.

“This partnership with Strataphy transforms our climate goals into real-world action,” Hamadani said. “Geothermal cooling not only supports our sustainability objectives but also delivers operational efficiency and aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.”

The new system will use Strataphy’s geothermal cooling technology, which taps into the Earth’s naturally stable underground temperatures through shallow boreholes. This provides a continuous, energy-efficient cooling solution—reducing dependence on conventional HVAC systems, cutting power consumption, and lowering carbon emissions.

Implemented under Strataphy’s Cooling-as-a-Service (CaaS) model, the project eliminates upfront costs for Tanmiah. Instead, it turns cooling into a predictable operational expense, with Strataphy managing system design, drilling, installation, and ongoing maintenance. The service model guarantees long-term performance and cost savings while reducing the environmental footprint of poultry production.

According to Ammar Alali, CEO of Strataphy, the collaboration represents a new era for clean technology in food production. He said, “In hot climates, poultry cooling can be a major energy drain. Our geothermal solution turns that challenge into an opportunity for sustainability and efficiency,” Alali explained. “This project proves that Saudi Arabia can lead the world in low-carbon agricultural innovation.”

The Shaqrah initiative is the first phase in Tanmiah’s broader plan to decarbonize its operations nationwide. Insights from the pilot will guide future geothermal deployments across Tanmiah’s network, potentially reshaping poultry farming economics throughout Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.

Muhammad Abbas Khan, Chief Strategy Officer at Tanmiah, added,“We’re proud to pioneer a solution that’s both economically viable and environmentally responsible. This initiative redefines how energy is used in food production and sets a benchmark for sustainable farming in arid regions.”

With cooling accounting for over 70% of Saudi Arabia’s building energy use, geothermal technology offers a scalable path to energy efficiency and food system resilience supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions for sustainability and innovation in agriculture.

South Africa’s poultry master plan needs urgent action.

In 2019, South Africa’s Poultry Sector Master Plan (PSMP) was launched with bold ambitions: to protect the industry from dumped imports, boost local production, grow exports, create jobs, and expand black ownership.

Six years later, while the vision still resonates, the momentum behind it is fading.

The PSMP was designed as a joint public–private effort to rebuild the country’s broiler value chain, which had suffered years of damage from unfair trade. It focused on five key pillars: enforcing trade remedies, stimulating local demand and production, expanding exports, supporting transformation, and improving governance through a dedicated oversight council.

In its early phase, the plan showed real promise. The poultry industry responded quickly, committing over R2.2 billion in new investments — surpassing the initial R1.5 billion target. Trade measures, supported by bird flu outbreaks abroad, began to reduce dumped imports, offering local producers some relief.

Major producers expanded operations, onboarded contract growers, and created jobs. Emerging farmers were integrated into formal value chains through offtake agreements, marking visible progress in transformation. These developments proved that when government and industry worked in sync, results followed.

But since the last election, progress has stalled. Responsibility for the PSMP was shifted to deputy ministers, and political attention drifted. While government leaders, including Gauteng MEC Ramokgopa and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, have reaffirmed their commitment — citing new financial packages, bird flu vaccination plans, and improved cold chains — much of it remains on paper.

Exports, a cornerstone of the plan, are still blocked by red tape. Negotiations with key markets like the EU, UAE, and Saudi Arabia have made little headway. Veterinary labs remain underfunded and understaffed, delaying health certification. As one insider put it, “Exports die in the lab. Producers are ready, but the paperwork isn’t.”

The plan also promised blended finance to help small and black-owned producers scale up. Yet funding access remains limited, and government-imposed conditions on vaccine rollouts have made key health programmes unaffordable and impractical for producers.

Ultimately, the Master Plan was never meant to be carried by the private sector alone. It’s a shared compact — one that depends on both sides delivering. The poultry industry has largely honoured its commitments. Now, government must match that effort with urgent, transparent and time-bound action.

South Africa’s poultry sector still holds massive potential — for rural jobs, food security, black empowerment and export growth. But unless government moves beyond promises to delivery, the PSMP risks becoming a cautionary tale of plans made, but not kept.

Tributyrin represents a critical advancement in gut health management.

As poultry farming continues to transition toward antibiotic-free systems, maintaining gut health has become a growing challenge.

The removal of antibiotics has led to increased issues such as dysbiosis, leaky gut, and enteric diseases, particularly during the early days of a chick’s life—a critical window for gut development and immune system establishment.

Several factors contribute to poor gut health in modern poultry systems. Feed ingredients contaminated with mycotoxins or anti-nutritional compounds can damage the intestinal lining and trigger chronic inflammation. Infections such as Clostridium perfringens and the growing resistance to anticoccidial drugs further aggravate the situation by compromising gut tissue and encouraging pathogenic growth. Environmental stressors like heat, overcrowding, transport, and feed transitions weaken the birds' natural defenses. In addition, rapid flock turnover creates instability, reducing the time for recovery and adaptation, which leaves birds more vulnerable to gut-related illnesses.

To address these challenges, nutritionists and poultry health experts are increasingly turning to biotic-based strategies. Among them, postbiotics, and in particular tributyrin, have emerged as a powerful tool for supporting gut health without the need for antibiotics. Tributyrin is a stable form of butyric acid that delivers direct benefits to the intestinal tract. It reaches the lower gut, where it plays a crucial role in strengthening the gut wall, reducing inflammation, and suppressing the growth of harmful bacteria by lowering intestinal pH. Unlike raw butyric acid, tributyrin has no offensive odor and is more effective thanks to its targeted delivery and greater stability during feed processing.

Tributyrin also enhances nutrient absorption and feed efficiency, supporting better weight gain and overall bird performance. Its unique ability to provide energy to intestinal cells while modulating the immune response makes it a valuable component in antibiotic-free poultry systems. When used alongside other biotics—such as prebiotics that feed beneficial bacteria and probiotics that introduce competitive microbes-tributyrin helps restore microbial balance and repair gut integrity from multiple angles.

The benefits of tributyrin are significantly enhanced when paired with Gastrointestinal Environment Harmonization (GEH) technology. GEH ensures controlled release and targeted action within specific regions of the gut, increasing the effectiveness of tributyrin while also protecting other biotic components through feed processing and digestion.

As the poultry industry continues to pursue sustainable and profitable production, tributyrin represents a critical advancement in gut health management. Its ability to reinforce the gut barrier, reduce inflammation, and improve performance-all without antibiotics-makes it an essential solution for modern poultry nutrition strategies focused on bird welfare, productivity, and long-term viability.

Good feed transitions support uniform growth across the flock.

In broiler production, smooth transitions between different feed types are vital for achieving strong flock performance.

Throughout their life, broilers move through different feed rations – typically starter, grower, and finisher. These feed stages also differ in texture, such as mash, crumb, or pellet. Each change is designed to meet the bird’s nutritional needs at every stage of growth.

However, if not managed correctly, these feed changes can negatively affect growth, feed intake, flock uniformity, and even carcass quality. That’s why careful feed transition practices are essential.

To manage transitions properly, introduce new feed gradually. One good approach is to top up the existing feed with the new one so they mix together. This helps birds adapt more easily. When moving from starter to grower feed, it’s not just the nutrient content that changes—feed form usually does too. Offering the first delivery of grower feed in a crumb or mini pellet form can help prevent a drop in feed intake.

Good feed transitions support uniform growth across the flock. They also maintain gut health, water intake, and reduce issues like feed flicking. These benefits contribute to consistent weight gain and better carcass quality.

Close monitoring during feed changes is key. Pay attention to the birds before, during, and after the transition. Look out for any changes in feeding or drinking behaviour. If birds eat less or seem unsettled, the feed form or nutrient density may need adjustment.

In summary, proper feed transition helps ensure broilers grow evenly, stay healthy, and reach their full performance potential. A gradual shift, correct feed form, and good observation can make all the difference in final results. Keeping transitions smooth is a small step that has a big impact on productivity and flock welfare.