Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
LIVE poultry exports have risen 30 percent from US$1, 7 million in the period January to September 2023 to US$2, 2 million in the comparable period this year.
Statistics from Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that live poultry export earnings rose from US$1 674 069 in the interval January to September 2023 to US$2 176 853 in the comparable period in 2024.
In mass terms, live poultry exports increased seven percent from 30 460 to 32 503 kilogrammes while the average price also rose 22 percent from US$55 to US$67 per kilogramme.
The country exports live poultry weighing not more than 185 grammes.
Irvine’s Zimbabwe chief executive Mr David Irvine said he was not privy to the actual statistics of live poultry exports as that domain was under the jurisdiction of the Zimbabwe Poultry Association (ZPA).
He, however, revealed that Irvine’s Zimbabwe mainly exported two types of poultry products regionally.
“We export layer pullet chicks for laying eggs mainly to Mozambique though I am 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 if there was any increase in poultry exports, then definitely it was in broiler parents, as demand for layers had stagnated if not declined.
He said his company was experiencing increased demand for local chicks and was fulfilling all the needs.
Livestock and Meat Advisory Council (LMAC) executive administrator Dr Reneth Mano said Irvine’s Zimbabwe was the only company in the country with a franchise for Cobb 500 parent stock genetics to supply to Cobb 500 parent chicks to breeder companies in 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 SADC and COMESA region,” he said.
The poultry sector has been on a sustained growth since the 2018 and the capacity of the country to export is a clear demonstration of self-sufficiency.
Source: ZimStats
The poultry industry is among the top growing sub-sectors 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 by expanding production.
The Stockfeed Manufacturers Association (SMA) annual report for 2023 shows that 883 000 tonnes of feed was 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 62 percent.
Since 2021 there has also been a significant increase in production of free-range dual purpose poultry feeds stimulated by development partners’ projects as well as the Presidential Poultry Scheme that was launched in 2022, added the report.
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.
