Zim poultry production up 22%

Published: 21 June 2015

Zimbabwe's poultry industry total chick production went up by 22 percent to 78,4 million birds in 2014 from 64,4 million recorded in 2013, a latest industry report has indicated.

According to Zimbabwe Poultry Association (ZPA) chairperson Solomon Zawe, the broiler industry continues to grow from strength-to-strength and set new monthly and yearly records.

"Day-old chick production peaked at 8,4 million in September 2014 compared with the previous peak of 6,2 million in October 2013 of total chick production," said Zawe.

He added that large-scale broiler sector meat production in 2014 was similar to 2013 at 2 690 metric tonnes (mt) per month.

However, estimated total meat production from day-old chicks produced in 2014 is estimated to have increased by 24 percent to 11 000mt per month.

"The increase is attributed to the growth in the smallholder sector which is estimated to account for more than 70 percent of total chick sales," said Zawe.

Day-old sexed layer pullet production in 2014 was three percent down compared with 2013, while large-scale table egg production declined by 16 percent to two million dozen eggs per month.

However, total egg production, estimated from pullet sales, is estimated to have declined by six percent to four million dozen eggs per month, which is partly offset by an increase in smallholder egg production.

Zawe noted that illegal imports of frozen chicken seem to have significantly declined although there have been some reports of imports of time-expired product through Namibia.

"A sub-committee of the ZPA Council is meeting various government departments tasked with control of the import of livestock products to craft ways of ensuring that there is no repeat of what happened in the second half of 2014 when there was an influx of illegal imports of chicken products into the country," he said.

Zawe said the objective was to ensure that there is fair competition for locally-produced chicken and to reduce the risk of importing livestock and human diseases into the country.

On the other hand, Zawe noted that the prices of stock feed particularly maize and soya products remained relatively static over the last six months of 2014 and this was reflected in static poultry feed prices.

"The averages price of maize and solvent extracted soya meal were $355 and $650 per tonne respectively and weighted broiler and layer feeds prices were $640 and $512 per tonne respectively.

"The poultry industry is now estimated to consume 14,400mt soya beans and 20,700mt maize per month," said Zawe.

He added that the stock feed industry continues to grow in parallel with the increase in broiler day-old chick production and in 2014 poultry feeds accounted for 71 percent of the monthly feed production of 38,500 tonnes.
- dailynews

Tags: Poultry,