Poultry farming through the eyes of a smallscale producer in Zimbabwe in the COVID-19 era

POULTRY production and its entire value chain constitute a significant part of the Zimbabwean agricultural industry and the economy at large. In recent years, demand for poultry products, primarily chicken and its products appear to have driven growth in the poultry industry, increasing not just the quantities produced but also the number of producers.

Importance of the poultry industry with the smallholder at the centre

The increased demand for poultry could be attributed to a number of factors, including poultry meat being a healthier, more affordable, and more accessible household option compared to its substitutes such as beef, pork, chevon, or mutton while the demand for poultry products such as eggs could be explained by their multiple uses in households and the food industry, for meals, in cooking, and in baking and confectionaries.

The poultry production sector has numerous backward and forward inter-linkages with other industries, so that growth in the poultry production sector has spurred growth in its supporting industries, leading to growth in the entire value chain. The growth in poultry production has increased the demand for inputs such as feed, chicks, medicines and equipment. Also, it has placed greater demand on the many supporting industries involved in the marketing, storage and transport of input and output products. At the centre of all this growth lies the farmer, who is involved in the primary production of poultry and its products.

As is characteristic of Zimbabwe’s farming sector, the poultry industry is dual in nature, consisting of both large and small-scale farmers. Smallscale producers, who constitute a significant proportion of up to 75% of poultry farmers, are key to the success of this industry. This article will discuss the status of the country’s smallscale poultry farmer in this COVID-19 era, highlighting the trends, challenges and opportunities in the poultry industry through the lens of a small-scale farmer.

Impacts of COVID-19 on the small-scale poultry farmer

While the industry seemed to be on an upward trajectory in recent years, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its strict lockdown restrictions in 2020 brought unprecedented changes to the industry which negatively affected the small-scale farmer.

The input supply side

Firstly, the global lockdown disrupted imports of the most valuable component of poultry production, that is, poultry breeding stock, resulting in the shortage of good quality chicks on the market. Farmers, who purchase their chicks locally, were then forced to rely on the poor quality chicks available. The poor-quality chicks were cited as having high mortality rates and slower growth rates than previous breeds. This was a major setback to farmers, and meant that even before commencing production, the odds were against them. This was even more devastating for small-scale farmers who can only afford to produce small bird volumes.

Secondly, in response to the closure of other lines of business while agriculture remained an essential service, there was a large influx of new poultry producers, mostly small-scale, that joined the industry. The influx placed a greater demand on the already challenged input provision sector. This not only led to disruptions in input supply — with farmers having to book almost two months in advance for their allocation of chicks, and sometimes feed was unavailable. Disruptions in input supply made planning difficult for the small-scale farmers, especially since they relied on readymade feed and chicks which were sometimes out of stock. The input shortages coupled with an increased demand for inputs, may have ultimately led to an increase in input prices.

Increases in input prices

The curse of the smallholder poultry farmers lies firstly in the inability to generate their own inputs such as feed and chick inputs, forcing them to rely on ready-made products, and secondly being small, they have no power to negotiate or influence market prices, forcing them to take whatever input prices are prevailing. Over the past few years, the prices of feed and chicks have been increasing significantly. Small-scale farmers are left with no option but to absorb input price increases, leaving them even more vulnerable, less productive, and less profitable.

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This article is republished from the African Thinker

● Talent Ndabenhle Ndlovu is a qualified Agricultural Economist. She holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Pretoria.