Botswana - Lack of market cripples poultry farming

Lack of markets for small-scale poultry farmers has been blamed for the high rate of failure in projects funded under the Financial Assistant Policy (FAP). Speaking at the official opening of Botswana Poultry Association (BPA) field day hosted by the Serowe branch, managing director of the Rural Industries Promotions Company (RIPCO), Kitsiso Morei, said most of the projects have collapsed, leaving ruined poultry sheds in the bush throughout the country. He said in Serowe alone, 28 poultry projects received FAP grant, and only 13 out of that number are still operating. Morei said the poultry industry faces a number of constraints like poor transport system, poor access to water, electricity and unavailability of both point of lay pullets and parents stock or breeding stock for hatching eggs. Other constraints faced by poultry farmers are related to quality control of both laying pullets and day old chicks. Producers allege that some of their suppliers give them poor quality chicks and vaccines and other veterinary drugs are not readily available. Morei said Botswana depends on raw materials for feed manufacturing from neighbouring countries and that makes it difficult for the local poultry industry to export to these countries because of Botswana's low competitive advantage. The market for poultry products is also a big constraint. Presently, the only market is through selling to individuals, community junior secondary schools, take-away outlets and small food vendors. As for large supermarkets, small-scale producers allege that they are unable to sell to them unless their chicken is halaal and well processed. Morei said for the poultry industry to be successful, there need to be a reduction in its costs of production and improvement of productivity. The latter will happen if farmers reduce mortality of their stock and improve quality and yields by focusing on the basics in their lines of production. Morei said despite the constraints faced by poultry farmers, they meet the demand in the country as evidenced by the consistent supply of locally produced chicken meat and that of eggs in the country's retail outlets. He said the poultry industry depends on the country's two hatcheries: National Chicks Botswana in the south and Irvines Hatchery Botswana in the north. Morei said the total number of eggs hatched by the two hatcheries was 38.6 million in 2003. In addition, 8.9 million-day-old chicks were imported to meet the demand for day old chicks. The total estimated meat produced locally was 57.3 tonnes while 48.4 tonnes were imported from South Africa. He said that per capita consumption for chicken meat has increased from 21 kg in 2002 to 34 kg in 2003. Consumption for eggs did not change. Morei commended BPA for promoting self-help as shown by the activities they undertake as the industry strive to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of poultry meat and eggs and also to alleviate poverty by creating jobs in the process. Earlier on farmers who were from Kgalagadi, Kweneng, Chobe, Boteti, North East, Bobirwa and other district were taken around the poultry projects and even to Copel Rancho Chicken Abattoir which does the cutting, deboning and packaging in Serowe.