June 22, 2023

 

Zimbabwe to launch national standards for free range poultry production and marketing

 

The Zimbabwean government and stakeholders in the poultry industry are gearing up to introduce national standards on free range poultry production and marketing, The Herald reported.

 

The launch of these standards, scheduled for next week, aims to enhance efficiency and promote sustainable intensive production under the Presidential Poultry Scheme (PPS).

 

The Zimbabwe Free Range Poultry Association (ZFRPA), in collaboration with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MLAFWRD), has developed the national standard for free range poultry production.

 

The ZWS 1051: 2022 Code of Practice for Good Agricultural Practice for free range poultry production will be officially launched on June 27 at the Harare Exhibition Park, with attendance expected from local, regional, and international stakeholders.

 

Beauty Jiji, secretary general of ZFRPA, said that this is the first key standard aimed at guiding farmers and value chain actors in the sustainable production and marketing of free-range poultry in Zimbabwe.

 

The standard covers all four groups of free range poultry, including chicken, turkey, duck, and guinea fowl. It takes into account consumers' growing concerns regarding health consciousness and animal welfare.

 

The implementation of these standards is expected to foster the commercial production and marketing of free range poultry and its products, targeting both the domestic and export markets. It will contribute significantly to ensuring the credible and sustainable growth of the free range poultry sector in the country.

 

The Presidential Poultry Scheme, introduced as part of the Rural Development 8.0 model by the government, aims to improve nutrition and increase incomes for at least three million rural households across Zimbabwe. Launched in Masvingo on August 25 last year, the scheme has since expanded to all 10 provinces, aligning with the government's commitment to leave no one and no place behind.

 

Through the scheme, households receive 10 free-range chicks in batches over a five-year period, with the goal of transforming rural communities into centres for organically-produced live chicken, eggs, and chicken meat. This initiative is expected to contribute to foreign currency earnings through poultry exports.

 

Jiji said that the ZFRPA has distributed 789,549 birds at different ages, along with 33,891 Stress Mix packs and 36,716 packets of 10 kg bags of feed nationwide. So far, approximately 78,955 households have directly benefited from the programme, and over 2,000 people have been employed by producer members.

 

The introduction of these national standards will further support the country's Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) in establishing domestic markets for the large volumes of organically produced live chicken, eggs, and chicken meat. Additionally, ZimTrade is actively exploring foreign markets for Zimbabwe's poultry industry, opening up potential opportunities for exports.

 

-      The Herald