Since Thailand announced a move toward digital transformation back in 2017, the most attention is being paid to cutting-edge industries such as internet banking, e-commerce and electric vehicles. Few people realize that one of the biggest digitization advances is being made at chicken complex in suburban Thailand.

Charoen Pokphands Foods (CPF)’s Nakhon Ratchasima broiler complex is located about 300 km northeast of Bangkok, Thailand. This colossal complex is among most innovative chicken complexes in the world, producing millions of broilers per week for consumers in Thailand and abroad, according to the company.

What's inside?

The broiler complex in Nakhon Ratchasima is running with the most updated technologies in poultry business. These innovations are playing very important roles in food safety, animal welfare and traceability.

The complex is designed in a compartment model in line with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The concept of compartmentalization is to separate all facilities within the complex from each other under common biosecurity to avoid contamination and epidemics.

Newborn baby chicks are transported from hatchery facilities to broiler houses by trucks with air ventilation designed specifically for preventing external contamination.

During their lifetimes, broilers live in environmentally controlled housing with automatic system that feed, comfort and monitor them.

CPF vice president and animal welfare expert Dr. Payungsak Somyanontanakul explained that, besides enhancing strict biosecurity, these technologies can significantly improve the living environment within the complex.

“We believe the best-quality products must come from the cleanest and healthiest environment. Farmers will no longer need antibiotic growth promoters for healthy and happy chickens,” he added.

In order to provide the best living environment, Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare principles are applied inside the chicken house.

“It is the company’s policy that farm animals must be free from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, injury and disease, fear and distress and being able to express normal behavior,” he said.

All broilers are farmed with the Evaporative Cooling System (EVAP), a technology that controls temperature, moisture and even the proper day and night environment within the chicken house to make it more comfortable in a tropical country like Thailand.

Unlimited feed and water are given to the chickens through the automatic machine, while weighing scales are installed inside the chicken house so the birds can jump in and play.

These scales collect chicken weight and send the data out of chicken house to the office, where chicken specialists closely monitor broilers through real-time data and live broadcasting.

Future of digital farming

CPF recently announced a partnership with JDA Software Inc., a leading supply chain software developer, to accelerate its digital supply chain transformation.

Prasit Boondoungprasert, CPF chief operating officer, said the company is moving toward digitalization to improve operational efficiency and provide better consumer satisfaction.

Big data and integrated analytics system are the keys of this transformation. With the right information and analysis, the company will be able to forecast trends as well as conduct cross-functional planning and plant execution more effectively.

“The networking synergy will encourage the company marketing and inspection throughout the supply chain,” Prasit said.

The application will allow CPF to closely monitor the operation throughout the integrated broiler chicken business more accurately than in the past. With accurate operation, the company will achieve in cost saving and quick respond to clients as well as market demand.

Prasit pointed out that quick response service and cost savings are the company’s key strategies to ensure business stability. Better information visibility enables the company to make decision swiftly and wisely in case of urgent orders or crisis such as epidemic happen.

“As one of the world’s leading integrated agro-industrial and food business, it is of the utmost importance for CPF to attain the best supply chain visibility to ensure production strength and demand and supply planning accuracy. Digitalization is allowing us to improve our consumer experience, reducing risk, rightsizing inventory and reducing wastes,” Prasit said.