adminIn an interview, the association’s national chairman Mr Solomon Zawe said they were now producing 38,5 million day-old chicks per month compared to last year’s figure of 37 million.
He said ZPA was targeting to produce at least 45 million per month of day-old chicks by the end of the year.
“We have a lot of chickens that we are now producing because of an improved business environment since 2009.
“During this festive season, we assure the nation of adequate supplies. As we speak the retailers are holding on to a lot of chickens which are not moving despite the recent increase in beef prices,” said Mr Zawe.
He said despite their ability to supply the local market, local poultry producers faced stiff competition from imported poultry products that continued to trickle into the country despite the association’s recent call for Government to impose a ban on poultry imports.
“We still have challenges caused by chicken imports. We can’t compete with imported chicken products because they are being produced at low cost while farmers in the country are incurring high production costs.
“For example, the price of stock feeds in the country is very expensive compared to those of our counterparts in other countries,” he said.
A survey by this paper last week revealed that supermarkets in Bulawayo were fully stocked with chicken products including eggs, mainly from local producers.
Mr Zawe said it was critical for Government to consider supporting the local poultry farmers considering their critical role in economic development.
“We call upon the Government to support the local poultry farmers because they play a major role in economic development. We employ more than 100 people per farm throughout the country. We also support the
land reform programme whereas imports are not. It is therefore, imperative for Government to protect the local poultry producers by imposing a ban on imported chicken products.”
He said the growth and development of the poultry sector would contribute to value chain addition as soya and maize farmers will be encouraged to grow the crops to supply stockfeeds.
A few years ago, local poultry producers lobbied the Government to impose a ban on chicken products saying the farmers had the capacity to meet national demand.
However, when the ban was instituted, there was a shortage of chicken in the country’s retail outlets prompting the Government to lift the ban to cover the deficit.
Online Reporter