Grain Field Chickens' Story

Grain Field Chickens’ history stems from a century-old agricultural enterprise, the VKB group. VKB has been a leading name in the food-production industry since 1919 and has ventured into different entities such as grain processing, fertiliser and fuel, animal feed plants, and wheat mill among many others.

In 2010, a strategic decision was made to change the VKB Management Structure by consolidating the different VKB Industries into a focused division. It also gave birth to a chicken poultry farm at the heart of South Africa’s grain fields in the Free State.

A Poultry Farm in the Heart of South Africa

Along with VKB, Grain Field Chickens aims to develop a balanced national footprint through its geographical location. In the Eastern Free State, maize and soybean are produced which have previously been sold to industries in other provinces without any added value.

These two crops make up the average formula for food for broilers, respectively. It, therefore, made economic sense to boost the value chain by building an animal feed plant so that the maize and soya could be transformed into broiler food which could in turn be used by contract growers.

The addition of a chicken abattoir would increase the maximum value to the area and developing products that reflect traditional South African chicken farm values was an opportunity of a lifetime. The decision to get involved in the production and processing of chicken was a logical step for VKB to get further involved in the food value chain.

The ground works for the abattoir in Reitz was started in December 2010. In May 2011, the steel construction was erected so that by June 2012 the business was in production.

It took Grain Field Chickens two years to build a state-of-the-art chicken abattoir and has since produced only the best chicken products for its consumers in South Africa. Grain Field Chickens is owned by VKB Agri Processors.

Upholding Values

For Grain Field Chickens, product and service quality are non-negotiable. We believe in locally-sourced products, local job creation, and creating value for the South African consumer. Our farm chickens are fed only with high-quality broiler feed and are raised in a controlled environment to produce fresh and healthy South African poultry products.

We uphold three good old business principles – honesty, communication, and respect. These traditional values have kept us true to our mission in being the preferred poultry brand in South Africa.

Superior Food Safety

Our state-of-the-art poultry farm and abattoir in Reitz in the Eastern Free State ensures compliance to the highest food hygiene and safety standards. With accolades and our passion for food, we ensure the safest processing and packaging methods for our poultry products.