Poultry body explains chicks ‘shortage’

THE presumed shortage of chicks in the country is because of the growing number of poultry farmers involved in business, Poultry Association of Zambia (PAZ) executive director Dominic Chanda has said. Mr Chanda explained in an interview with Daily Nation that the presumed shortage was as a result of an percent increase in the number of poultry farmers. He explained that more poultry farmers were shifting from layers into broiler production because the prices of broiler feed had reduced around March , causing a rise in demand for broiler chicks. Mr Chanda was reacting to concerns from small-scale poultry farmers that there was a shortage of chicks on the market and that it was taking too long to collect the chicks after booking. “Farmers have switched from layers to broiler production because the prices drastically reduced in the profit resulting margin into an for increase most farmers, dealers who this had has moved brought out back of production, higher. pushing the demand “The nature of the business demands that one waits for a specific period of time before collecting the chicks. The increase in demand cannot dictate an increase in supply because it¶s a process of procuring more,” Mr Chanda said. He said farmers should understand such dynamics to avoid poor planning and subseTuently straining the hatcheries. Mr Chanda said the industry had a 2.6 million additional chicks that went onto the market in the first Tuarter of compared to , adding that farmers should exercise patience while the industry adjusted to the increase in demand. He explained that was the worst year in the history of the poultry industry because the price of stock feed increased by almost 72 percent which led to a near collapse of the industry.