July 28, 2010

Zimbabwe calls for imports on chick shortage

Poultry breeders in Zimbabwe are unable to meet demand for day-old chicks and have asked the government to lift the import ban for hatching eggs.

Poultry producers have been allowed to import hatching chicken eggs in order to meet rising demand for chicken, according to reports. At present, producers were failing to meet demand at a time when government had banned imports of all poultry products.

Recently, the Zimbabwe Poultry Association lobbied the government to ban poultry imports claiming that local producers had the capacity to meet national demand.

Hubbard marketing manager Jorum Chamisa said the company's supply of day-old chicks to agents in Bulawayo was erratic because it was failing to cope with demand.

Chamisa said since the ban of chicken imports by the government, the poultry sector had not been able to cope with demand. He added that Hubbard and other players that produce day-old chicks have approached the government to allow companies to import hatching eggs so as to be able to supply the market.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister, Joseph Made, said the government had no objections to the demands of the poultry producers.

Earlier reports have shown that in March, the government banned poultry imports from South Africa and Botswana following an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever. The two countries were the major suppliers of chicken into the country, resulting in prices falling.