Climate change has little effect on poultry production

Despite the advent of climate change whose effects include the adverse rise in the earth’s temperatures, statistics have shown that poultry production in the seven districts under the Blantyre Agriculture Development Division (ADD), Malawi has increased since 2010.

According to figures, the division this year has already registered a poultry production of 20.6 million, an increase from 19.2 million recorded in 2012.

While acknowledging that the division has never carried out any assessment on the impact of climate change on the increase in the poultry output, the ADD’s chief animal health and livestock development officer Patricia Mayuni told the Malawi News Agency (Mana) that its influence cannot be ruled out entirely.

Poultry production

“Despite the said factors, a climate change hand cannot be ruled out though it can either negatively or positively influence the production outcome,” Mayuni pointed out.

She said since climate change is characterised by a rise in temperatures and that most poultry animals reproduce well under a considerable heat, the factor may have played an effect regardless of the other factors.

Mayuni was nonetheless quick to point out that under extreme temperatures that are sometimes associated with climate change, some poultry can hardly cope with the conditions considering their body temperatures.

The Environmental Affairs Department assistant director Michael Makonombera concurred with Mayuni that climate change might have caused an increase in livestock diseases including those in poultry.

“Diseases like Newcastle are common in high temperatures, which means that with climate change, poultry are bound to experience their upsurge,” explained Makonombera.

He, however, ruled out the possibility of climate change contributing to increase in poultry production observing that the rise in temperatures is extreme to the extent that livestock can hardly cope.