The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Business Reporter
THE country’s broiler chicken production continues to be on a downward spiral as more poultry farmers opt out due to the prevailing inflationary pressures, which have led to the ever-accelerating rise in feed price.
In its livestock update for the month of March, the Livestock and Meat Advisory Council (LMAC) said the Zimbabwe Poultry Association (ZPA) noted that broiler growing and in-production breeding stock declined by 17 percent from May to December last year.
“It was noted that total broiler growing and in-production breeding stocks continued to decline by 17 percent from a peak of 796 150 birds in May 2019 to 657 105 birds in December, which is similar to previous peak stock levels in 2016,” read part of the statement.
LMAC also stated that meat production last year plunged by 20 percent from 2018.
“Total meat production in 2019 was estimated at 114 300 tonnes, being 20 percent lower than that of 2018, but similar to total estimated production in the years 2014 to 2016,” it said.
In 2018 Zimbabwe’s poultry industry recorded a 32 percent jump in output, producing 90,8 million-day-old chicks, the highest since 2014.
Over the years broiler chicken production has become a point of entry into agriculture for most families in the country and an important livelihood option for a number of urban households. Small-scale producers prefer raising chickens because of their shorter days to maturity and lower inputs.
“However, going forward, reduced viability of local production is likely to lead to withdrawal from poultry production especially by small to medium scale farmers who depend on purchased feeds. This will likely lead to an upsurge in both legal and illicit imports of cheap poultry products,” said LMAC.
Zimbabweans had resorted to living on chicken, which was cheaper than beef that had turned into a luxury for the average person. However, the price of chicken feed has been continuously increasing as from last year culminating in the increase of the price of chicken.
The price of a 50 kilogramme (kg) broiler starter crumbles is pegged at around $1 200, the same as that of a broiler grower pellets while that of a broiler finisher pellets is slightly below $1 200. ZPA chairperson Mr Solomon Zawe told Sunday News Business that the decline in broiler chicken production was largely due to the prevailing inflationary pressures in the country.
“Market forces are affecting all sectors of the economy, broiler production included. Inflation is the main killer as it affects production. We are suffering from high costs of raw materials and foreign currency shortages to import essentials. Our cashflow is also affected since one can’t plan for the next batch,” he said.
Mr Zawe, however, said: “but in general, production is stable though buying power is less for consumers to buy the finished product.” – @DNsingo
