Established in 1971 and now with 11-50 employees, Charles Stewart Day Old Chicks (CSDOC) operates a commercial hatchery and feed processing unit. The company is the exclusive license holder of Hyline Chicks, an American breed imported into Malawi to breed parent stock and produce hatching eggs (chicks), which are then distributed through company-owned shops and agents. CSDOC also distributes feed through company-owned shops and agents and provides poultry production training to smallholder farmers nationwide from its base in Blantyre. Mr Alexander Stewart, Managing Director, has a master’s degree in strategic management and over 20 years of experience in poultry management, breeding and production.

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Facilitating Access to Finance and Investment for Market Actors

This project demonstrated that business development services can help an agri-SME to rejuvenate and tested the viability of smallholder farmer supply chains working with agri-SMEs.

Between September 2020 and June 2022, this 18-month project supported CSDOC to become investment-ready to attract investment finance to expand their hatchery and feed processing line. The investment-readiness support included enhancing the company’s financial management, developing a business plan, and creating a marketing and branding strategy, to help reposition the company in the market and strengthen its competitiveness. CASA supported the company to mobilise 1,895 smallholder farmers from which to source its raw materials for feed. At a total cost of £50,008, the CASA contribution of £48,508 covered technical assistance and a grant.

CSDOC worked with CASA hoping to attract third-party investment of £310,000 to expand its operations, upgrade the hatchery, and increase supply and distribution of DOC to regain market share. However, such investment was not forthcoming, and the assets have since been leased out to KELFOODS on a long-term deal up to 2029.

Updated: July 2025