One-on-One Visits: A New Approach in Disease Control Training in Tunisia

USSEC organized one-on-one visits to three poultry farms in several areas of Tunisia from September 5 to 8. The visits centered on poultry diseases.
Dr. Gary Butcher, a USSEC consultant, veterinarian and professor at the University of Florida, escorted by Dr. Riadh Karma, USSEC Country Representative in Tunisia, visited three poultry facilities and facilitated poultry diseases one-on-one training visits to the farms’ owners, veterinarians, and technicians. He also performed examinations and autopsies on sick and dead birds and provided suggestions to improve disease control and diagnosis in these companies. He also showed several slides from presentations on specific topics.
Prior to the field visits, he visited the virology department of the Tunis Pasteur Institute. This was a great opportunity to Dr. Butcher to discover the level of advanced capabilities in diagnostic, disease control, and research in this very famous old institution.
The first farm visit was to the Terra de Carthage Broiler Farm, a facility with a capacity of one million birds. It is the largest poultry farm in Tunisia belonging to PGH, the first poultry integrated company in Tunisia.
The second field visit took place at the Bourguiba Farm, a 100,000 capacity layer farm. The farm also has an 80,000-pullet capacity.

Dr. Butcher at Pasteur Institute
Visit of Terra de Carthage, a one million broiler farm

The last field visit was to SAVIMO, a major poultry integrated company in Tunisia. The visit concerned the broiler farm as well as a broiler and turkey slaughter and further processing plant.

Dr. Butcher with Dr. Hsayri in Bourguiba farm
SAVIMO meat processing facilities

Besides technical aspects, the discussion emphasized feed quality, the high value of U.S. origin soybeans, and their sustained quality.