Eggs produced from CP Foods’ “Raising Layer for Student's Lunch” project has ensured food security in 880 schools, covering 160,000 students, nationwide during the outbreak of COVID-19.

The project aims at improving child nutrition and health in coherence with the company’s sustainability direction to promote food security.

Border Patrol Police School in Sai Diao Subdistrict, Khlong Hat District, Sa Kaeo Province, has been participating in the project for the 18th year. There were 140 students from kindergarten to grade 6, most of the children lived with their grandparents because their parents left the town for working in bigger cities.

The school raised 150 laying hens with the support of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) and the Charoen Pokphand Rural Life Foundation that provided chicken breeding, animal feed and free housing in the first generation in 2003.

Until now, the students are raising 12th generation laying hens, producing about 100 eggs per day. During the Covid-19 period, children have to study at home. However, every Tuesday, the teacher will arrange a vegetable and 10 eggs for each student and, on Friday, a lunch box will be distributed to them to make sure that they have sufficient supplies during outbreak. In addition, the school also sells surplus eggs at an affordable price through cooperatives.

Miss Apinya “Chompoo” Kongnok, a Grade 6 student, said that the teacher will bring eggs and lunch to the house every Tuesday and Friday. Sometimes, it comes with vegetables. “Our teachers want us to have nutritious food like when we are at to school.” She said.

Pol Maj. Gen. Sathaporn Chaiwan, director of Ban Thung Kabin’s border patrol police school in Sa Kaeo Province, said that the school participated in the egg-laying project since 2010.  Since then every students have the opportunity to learn to raise laying hens. Many of them bring the farming knowledge they have gained to raise hens at home.

Kittipong “Tono” Sae-Koo, a Grade 6 student, said the students still take care of the chickens, collect eggs, feed them and clean them as usual even though the school is not open for teaching due to COVID-19 outbreak.

“I want to help lighten the burden of teachers because teachers take good care of us and brought food to the house.” He said.

At the Ban Thep Phu Ngoen Border Patrol Police School in Udon Thani Province, the school continues to move forward with the egg-laying hen project to produce chicken eggs for 45 students even if the children do not come to school.

Ms. Duangmanee Srathongfuang, a teacher in charge of the project, said that although the school is very far from the city but it wants students to have activities and useful skills. Therefore, the school coordinates with CP Foods and the Foundation to join the laying hen project in 2019. She added that everyone was eager to take care of the 100 laying hens.

“The egg-laying hen project helps everyone to go through this crisis together,” said Duangmanee.