adminLiberty Dube
POULTRY farmers in Chimanimani have appealed to Government to come up with financial assistance or loan facilities to enable them to pursue their business at a large scale. Several farmers who over the years have been affected by the effect of climate change in the district have opted to venture into income-generating projects like poultry farming.
However, their ventures have not been a stroll in the park as they are facing a myriad of challenges among them lack of markets as well as transport to deliver chickens and eggs to different parts of the country.
Mr Cashelton Moyana, who is into egg business and keeps 350 chickens (layers) that lay 345 eggs a day, said he was experiencing problems in supplying the market that has so much belief in other suppliers (from outside Chimanimani), while shunning the local suppliers.
“I get over 11 crates of eggs everyday and I sell them to locals as well as schools, hotels and supermarkets. I have the potential to supply even more if I can get financial assistance. I wish to expand this project and supply eggs to the whole of Chimanimani District. Some supermarkets and hotels prefer to get their supplies somewhere else without supporting us and that is drawing us back,” said Moyana.
The 55-year-old chicken farmer said he was also experiencing problems in distributing eggs to places like Outward Bound (about 10km from Chimanimani village) where the road is rocky and bumpy. “We are operating on a shoe-string budget. We need support,” he said.
Moyana started the project in December last year after buying point of lay chickens from Harare.
Another Chimanimani villager, Tendai Muchazoreka, who keeps 150 broilers, said she needed more income to supply her chickens to other areas outside Chimanimani.
“It is a family project and we are happy that it is growing by each day.
Online Reporter