Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
FARMERS have been urged to be careful on their sources of roadrunner chicks as most of them were being duped into buying reject layer chicks leading to irrecoverable losses.
In the recent monthly Agribusiness magazine, Nhema Chickens chief executive officer, Mr Nomore Nhema said farmers should always consider buying roadrunner chicks from registered suppliers.
“Always buy from registered suppliers because most farmers have been duped into buying reject layer chicks leading to irrecoverable losses. The department of livestock has a list of registered breeders in the country. Registered suppliers are your sources of genuine breeds and it is easier to trace the supplier in the case of problems,” said Mr Nhema.
He also noted that it was important for farmers to visit and see the breeding stock before making a payment as information on the breed was key to see if it met their production requirements.
He added: “Get to understand the vaccination records of your stock. A number of deadly diseases are affecting chickens such as Newcastle, Fowl-pox, Coryza and Gumboro today, so don’t be a victim. Ask for receipts as proof to show that they were vaccinated. Many farmers go for the lowest price which in most cases are chicks not vaccinated.”
Mr Nhema said farmers should also consider the breed on demand as many of them were now preferring dual purposes breeds such as Sasso, Kuroiler, and Black Australorp as these had the capacity to produce both meat and eggs. He added research on what the market wants was important.
Profeeds veterinarian Dr Garikai Marutsi said for a number of years roadrunners have been feeding on left overs, scavenging for food and greens, but when farmers realized that the demand for road runners had increased most of them are now health conscious.
He also noted that the solution to increasing production requirements was nutrition and over 70 percent of production costs are hinged on nutrition.
“Having better control on nutrition ensures more control on costs, production cycle, competitiveness and selling prices. Good nutrition improves survival rate to above 50 percent and productivity. Profeeds has a solution to your roadrunner nutritional requirements in the form of roadrunner starter mash, grower/finisher mash and breeder layer mash,” added Dr Marutsi.
He encouraged farmers to use feed only from reputable supplier, as having the right feed meant they have a healthier stock and increased profit.
Dr Marutsi also highlighted that on feed storage, farmers should ensure it should be off ground and away from walls (from mould and termite damage), had no leak from roofs, under lock and key (from theft) and rodent control.
Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) agribusiness analyst Ms Thamary Mhlanga said many farmers seek financial help from banks without a history of transactions, but the records were important because they were the ones which give the banker a picture of where the business was coming from.
“You can also consider hiring a basic book keeper to record your cash inflows, outflows, profit and other crucial information. Records help you to see a trend in your production, and see how best you can streamline your project. There are also computer packages that you can use,” added Ms Mhlanga.
She also noted that as collateral was a hindrance to many with most banks requiring immovable collateral, as an alternative it was important for a farmer to have a relationship with their bank and also off take agreements with reputable companies thar could add weight to their proposal.
Ms Mhlanga also highlighted that contract agreements could ensure a guaranteed market for farmers and an arrangement could be made with off takers to pay the bank directly thus reducing the risk of defaults.
She added: “Another key aspect is the importance of being part of an association. Banks prefer to deal with associations or organized farmers. Being part of an association increases your chances of getting funding.”
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