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Auxilia Katongomara and Charity Ruzvidzo Business Reporters—
MATABELELAND region buys about 400,000 eggs from other provinces daily as local farmers are failing to meet the estimated demand of 450,000 eggs. Phathani Sibanda, a poultry farmer based at Maleme Farm in Matobo District who breeds layer chickens said most poultry farmers in the region were concentrating on broilers forcing the city to import the bulk of eggs.
“Matabeleland consumes 450,000 eggs on a daily basis but as farmers we can only supply 50,000 resulting in the bulk of eggs being brought from other places such as Masvingo and Harare as there are a few farmers who’re in this business,” said Sibanda.
He encouraged local poultry farmers to venture into the business, which has a lucrative market.
“Few farmers are keen on venturing into layer chicken business because they’ve a misconception that it’s very cumbersome. But this business has a very good market considering the few farmers in the region are failing to meet daily demand,” said Sibanda.
He said Maleme Farm was breeding 10,000 layer chickens, which already have a market with the assistance of the local community.
Sibanda said it takes up to 17 weeks for the layers to start laying eggs.
He said the price for a point-of-lay chicken ranges from between $10 and $12 each.
The finance manager for Higrow Poultry Company, one of Bulawayo’s main suppliers of eggs, Ntando Ntaisi, concurred saying lack of experience and skill was affecting the production of eggs.
“The major challenge faced by poultry farmers is lack of knowledge when it comes to poultry farming. The field requires skills to ensure that a farmer doesn’t incur any losses,” he said.
“Another challenge is that people aren’t aware of the market deficit. The market needs more farmers who can take advantage of the gap and supply the required eggs.”
Meanwhile, the poultry sector has been greatly affected by imports from South Africa and Brazil, which are flooding the market at cheap prices.
A majority of these products would have been smuggled and are genetically modified.
It takes less than a month from incubation to slaughter a genetically modified bird, which greatly reduces the input costs while it takes at least six weeks for an organic chicken to mature locally.
The development has put local producers at a disadvantage as they have to bear higher costs of production.
Zimbabwe has a combined hatching capacity of 7.6 million day old chicks per annum.
Online Reporter