Chicks shortage expected to end by year end

ABDUEL ELINAZA

SHORTAGE of chicks that hit the local poultry sector is expected to end in the next four months when supply of poultry feed is expected to increase due to falling prices for maize.

Rising prices of maize from around 500/- to 1,300/- per kilogramme last year, increased prices of poultry feed which impacted negatively on the poultry sector as it inflated cost of raising chicken.

According to stakeholders, rising maize prices were behind the shortage of chicks as it made chicken feed more expensive and hence raised the cost of raising chicken. This forced producers to halt production as the business became unprofitable since 60 per cent of chicken feed is maize.

Maize, mainly used to prepare poultry feed, is a primary staple crop in Tanzania which is produced by small-scale farmers usually under low input, rain-fed conditions. Small-scale farmers produce 85 per cent of national production while medium and large-scale farmers make up 10 per cent and 5 per cent.

Under the Big Results Now (BRN) programme initiated by the fourth-phase government, Tanzania planned to increase maize production by 100,000 hectares per year beginning in market year 2015-16, reaching 350,000 hectares in commercial production and 330,000 hectares in smallholder production by 2025.

The Tanzania Commercial Poultry Association (TCPA), Secretary, Dr Thabit Batenga said after maize prices went back to normal at 500/- per kilogramme, most producers imported parent chickens and resumed production.

“Chick producers started to import parent chickens mid this year and the supply will start to return to normal in December. Chicken need six month to start laying eggs…by January the supply will go back to normal,” said Dr Batenga, in an interview with the 'Daily News.'

He said the market has about ten big suppliers with a capacity of producing 156,000 chicks a day hence the market should not panic. “This is a temporary issue and should not warranting importation of chicks and eggs from neighbourhood countries,” he said.

According to him the situation was different to poultry meet as its supply has not been affected. "Though there are shortages of day-old chick, there is no shortages of poultry meat…a poultry keeper in Arusha can supply 30 tonnes of chicken meet at a short notice,” said Dr Batenga.

The shortage pushed up chick farm gate prices from between 800/- and 1,000/- to 1,200/- and 1,400/- for broiler. Commercial layer price stands at 2,300/-.

The government recently banned the importation of chicks and chicken meat to avoid bird flu and protecting local industries and poultry farmers.

The country big chick suppliers are Tanzania Farm, Euro Poultry—Amadori, Mkuza Poultry Farm, Interchick, Kibo Poultry Farm, Mwanza Poultry Farm, Central Chickens, Sliver Land and Kuku Poa. The country’s poultry industry is divided into traditional poultry production and commercial poultry production.

The traditional poultry sector is the largest contributing of about 70 per cent of the flock and supplying 100 per cent of poultry meat and eggs consumed in rural and 20 per cent in urban areas.