Live poultry chick exports up 139pc

ZIMBABWE’S live poultry chick exports have risen by 139 percent, from US$1,2 million in 2020 to US$2,8 million last year, as the sector seeks to consolidate this growth this year.

Statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show live poultry exports rose from US$1 201 283 to US$2 868 737 over the five-year period.

The average price rose by 45 percent, from US$47 to US$69 per kilogramme.

The country exports live poultry chicks weighing not more than 185 grammes.

Zimbabwe Poultry Association (ZPA) chairman, Mr Solomon Zawe, said the sector was projecting further growth this year after shrugging off the devastating El Niño effects of 2024.

Last year, live poultry chick exports grew by 30 percent from US$2 209 431 in 2023 to US$2 868 737.

“We produced 128 million chicks and 55 million dozen eggs last year, even with the drought. We will continue to grow this year,” he said.

As harvesting of the 2024/25 summer crops intensifies, with a projected good harvest from a better rainfall season, the country’s stockfeed prices are expected to be lower this year as it weans itself from imported inflation.

Mr Zawe said live poultry exports were parent chicks for breeding.

“Some companies have contractual agreements that they export breeding stock to their sister companies in the region. The poultry industry is doing well so far, although we had challenges with value added tax (VAT) last year,” he continued.

Irvine’s Zimbabwe chief executive, Mr David Irvine, concurred, saying any increase in live poultry exports was due to broiler parents, as demand for layers has stagnated, if not declined, over the years.

Irvine’s Zimbabwe mainly exports two types of poultry products regionally.

“We export layer pullet chicks for laying eggs, mainly to Mozambique, though I’m not too sure about the quantities. We also export broiler parents to countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC),” he said.

Mr Irvine said his company was experiencing increased demand for local chicks and they were fulfilling all the needs.

Livestock and Meat Advisory Council (LMAC) executive administrator, Dr Reneth Mano, said live parent breeder chicks were mainly exported by Irvine’s Zimbabwe.

“Irvine’s Zimbabwe is the only company in the country with a franchise for Cobb 500 parent stock genetics to supply Cobb 500 parent chicks to breeder companies in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region.

“I suspect that the growth in exports of chicks reflects Irvine’s Zimbabwe’s growing market for parent chicks in the SADC and COMESA region,” he said.

The poultry sector has been on a sustained growth trajectory since 2018, and the country’s capacity to export is a clear demonstration of self-sufficiency.

The poultry industry is among the top growing subsectors in the agriculture sector and has seen increased production of stock feeds and meat. Because of the increased demand for poultry meat, most companies have been responding to that by expanding production.

The Stockfeed Manufacturers Association (SMA) annual report for 2023 shows that 883 000 tonnes of feed were produced, with 75 percent of it accounted for by the poultry sector.

In value terms, poultry feed accounted for 81 percent of all the stockfeed produced last year.

“A total of 662 704 tonnes of poultry feed, valued at US$420 441 411, were produced at an average price of US$634 per tonne,” read the report.

The report revealed that between 2019 and 2023, broiler, layer and breeder bird feeds cumulatively grew by 62 percent.

In 2020, the Government approved the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan (2021-2026), whose main thrust is to put in place solid interventions to address livestock production and productivity issues required for a good foundation for the livestock sector to assume its prominent role in transforming farmers’ livelihoods and providing the required raw materials for agriculture-led industrial development, among others.-herald