November 4, 2010

Tanzania's poultry farmers face downbeat future

Poultry farming, an occupation that has been the support of many low-income people in Tanzania, is facing a depressing future.

"Opening up the market for outsiders is a risky thing because foreign poultry farmers are heavily subsidised and will eventually undercut our local producers," says John Moses Ngonya Lupasa, a poultry farmer at Chang'ombe in the city of Dar es Salaam. Lupasa, who produces broiler and layers chicks for sale, says the cost of production is heavy for him.

Farming remains the corner stone for the development of the people and as part of the government's commitment to vision 2025, poultry farming is a major sector of the economy.

Exposing local poultry farmers unfairly to a stiff competition with already financially stronger foreign producers runs contrary to the country's now vibrant proclamation of Kilimo Kwanza - Priority to Agriculture and is a sure way to kill them.

The importance of poultry farming in the country is underscored by the nation's reduced capacity to buy food from outside because of the world's spiral of food prices and food shortage in the world market. "Our ability to buy food from outside has decreased following the steep increase of price of food in the world and the shortage of food at the world market," says President Kikwete. Moreover, the direct cash contribution of poultry farmers to the national economy is not small by any means.

"At the expected selling price, these farmers will have injected into the local economy about TZS1.368 billion every week. Today, Tanzania has over 10 breeding companies, producing over 400,000 broiler chicks and 25,000 layer chicks per week. These companies will retain only about 10% of the chicks which they will grow to produce branded chicken meat sold through super markets," a report by one of the companies in Dar es Salaam said.

"The remaining 360,000 chicks will be distributed to farmers across the country, who rear them and supply the country's demand for chicken meat through individual homes, small restaurants and major hotel outlets in the country," he added. Recently, there has been a drive to open up the market for importation of cheaper chicken meat from the more developed countries, who are able to subsidise their farmers production.

This, if followed, will definitely lead to a collapse of the local production sector, which has had a slow but steady growth and increase the risk of introduction of highly infectious poultry disease as has happened in other parts of the world. Salum Athumani of Kipawa, Dar es Salaam is afraid foreign chicken diseases will come into the country.

Poultry farming is central in women empowerment at both the village and national level.

The government through the Ministry of Livestock Development and Fisheries has put in place policies that have enabled the sector to grow over the years and safeguard it from the introduction of infectious disease, which has devastated other countries. The importance of local poultry farmers to the economy cannot be overemphasised. The over TZS1 billion they each inject into the economy oils its engine substantially.