Bumper harvest positions Zimbabwe’s poultry sector for growth
Due to a bumper harvest on the back of a successful cropping season, Zimbabwe’s poultry production for 2021 is expected to rebound following a decline in 2020.
It is estimated that Zimbabwe’s poultry industry can expect growth of 5% to 156,078 mt this year, according to the country’s Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, as reported by Herald. This, he said, is supported by improved availability of stock feeds following an increase in production of maize and soyabeans.
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“The progressive increase in female parent stock since the second quarter of 2020 also gives impetus for improved poultry production in 2021,” he added.
Decline in 2020
Poultry output declined in 2020 due to high cost and low availability of feeds, low demand and disruptions in the supply of breeding stock. Ncube noted that the production of day-old chicks decreased by 2.5% in 2020 from 73.4 million in 2019 to 71.4 million last year, resulting in a drop in meat output by 2.45%.
Productivity interventions
Small-scale poultry farmers constitute 75% of poultry output in the country. Interventions have been put in place to assist and improve the productivity of these farmers, which is also expected to positively impact poultry production.
The Department of Veterinary Services has meanwhile advised local poultry farmers to tighten biosecurity measures to prevent any potential spread of avian influenza into the country. This, reports Herald, follows concerns over the influx of smuggled poultry products into the country.
