Which factors can drive Africa's poultry industry growth?

"The hen with chicks doesn’t swallow the worm" African Proverb

Which of the following do you think will play a major role in driving Africa's poultry industry's growth?

1) Increased frozen poultry meat imports?

2) Big foreign companies investing into large scale integrated poultry projects?

3) Education and training of entrepreneurs wanting to enter the market?

I will discuss each, giving my views.

Frozen poultry meat

Frozen poultry meat imports into African countries does play a role in stimulating the market and taste for poultry. The trick might be to control the trade by close collaboration with existing poultry production, government and importers. Quotas and tariffs on imports decided on an annual basis in balance with what the local production volumes and pricing will be. This has been to a degree successful in Mozambique.

Foreign agribusiness investment

These projects also play an excellent role in stimulating the market and also provide employment, training and a career to thousands of people. Much of the time depending on the size of the business, they support thousands of small farmers by providing inputs such as chicks, feed and technical support. These smallholder farmers being the core customers of their businesses. Generally these companies are processors taking care of hatching eggs, milling feed and processing poultry. The growing of broilers (meat) and production of eggs are mostly carried out by the smallholder farmers.

Education and training of entrepreneurs and farmers

This point is last but not least. In my opinion this is the most important factor to drive the industry forward in Africa. In a previous post I mention that without knowledge of how to appropriately grow a chicken or produce an egg a person entering this industry can fall at the first hurdle, loose money and exit the industry all together.

Who should be providing this education, training and support and why? To whom? Graduates? Employees of companies? 

I believe training should be provided by all of us who have something to do with the African poultry industry. Knowledge is the key and really doesn’t cost much considering how much you could get back in the long term. Let’s share our knowledge with the people who actually drive our business.