By Sariba Manneh
Poultry Farmers across The Gambia in an interview with this medium lamented the high cost of feed and imported chickens, which is hampering their trade as local dealers.
According to them, it is also depriving them of a major proportion of the domestic market, calling on the authorities to intervene and stop the importation of the chickens to allow them to sell their products.
This, they said, will also allow the industry to become self-sufficient while emphasizing the need to invest in domestic supply chains for day-old chicks, poultry feed, and vaccines to reduce reliance on imports.
“Local businesses face challenges due to low-cost import competition and a lack of support services and inputs. Imported poultry inputs affect production costs and supply reliability, while pests, diseases and inadequate input and support services impede growth,” said one of the poultry farmers.
According to them, the biggest challenge in Gambia’s poultry sector is the high cost of feed. Poultry feed accounts for about 70 % of the total cost of producing a layer or broiler in the Gambia because the cost of the major feed component, maize is expensive due to competing needs and inadequate production.
“High feed costs are still a major concern for industry players and it has cascading effect on poultry meat consumers,” they decried.
They reiterated their concern over the high cost of production, which includes but is not limited to hikes in the price of raw materials to feed the birds.
“Per the market price analyses of feed, 50 kg of maize, which was sold at D1500 has increased astronomically to over D2000, making it difficult for farmers to purchase,” they reiterated.
On average, farms use 50 kg bags to feed their birds. That aside, the high cost of electricity and labour makes it difficult for most of the farms to thrive.
They observe that quality feed and feed processing plants are also among the challenges poultry farmers go through in the country, stressing that The Gambia needs poultry feed processing plants as a driving force for poultry production in the country.
Research reveals that 77% of poultry vendors target this particular time of the year, such as the tourist season, and Muslim and Christian religious holidays. However, only 50% of them receive assistance or guidance from the Department of Livestock Services (DLS).
Mr Ebrima Minteh, the CEO of Minteh’s farm acknowledged the challenges confronting local poultry farmers amid the importation of frozen chicken into the country that are cheaper in terms of pricing.
He said the poultry sector remains one of the most important sectors in the country and second to the fisheries sector, with fish being the most important source of protein for many families in the country.
“The industry’s major customers are hotels, restaurants, and the general public, with most broilers purchased by the public. However, local producers face constraints such as inadequate inputs and support services and competition with cheap imports,” he said.
He said it is important they empower the local poultry farmers. When farmers are empowered, even in the worst-case scenario relating to bird flu and sort, the country will not feel it, as local firms will produce enough for local consumption and even export the surplus.
“Let’s take an example from our neighbours – Senegal, we’ve all seen how the Senegalese government supported their domestic industries to expand their production level,” he observed.
He stated that if the government supports poultry production, imports of foreign chickens into the country will soon be a thing of the past. And it will have a trickle-down effect on the country’s economy and boost food production.
“Therefore, the government’s intervention is a matter of choice. But the easiest way to end the importation of chickens and eggs is to empower local producers. It is a collective effort and together we can end importation of chickens within the shortest possible time,” he added.
Mr Mass Jobe, also a poultry farmer, said Gambians are enthusiastic about starting poultry farming, but lack the requisite skills, knowledge, and capital to venture into it. He said poultry farmers must possess vast knowledge of nutrition and diseases that affect poultry to become successful in poultry farming.
He said the problem with poultry farming in the country is the lack of capacity as many Gambians entering the poultry industry lack technical capacity.
He added that there is a need for more capacity-building programmes to help close the capacity gap in the poultry industry in the national quest to propel the industry to another level.
“The challenges faced by Gambia’s poultry industry highlight the need for government support and investment to strengthen the sector, create employment opportunities, and enhance food security,” he added.
He disclosed that basic infrastructure and feeding remain the biggest challenges to poultry farming in The Gambia.
A leading veteran observed that there are many people who are interested in poultry with lots of enthusiasm, but Gambia does not still have basic infrastructures for a good poultry industry; so, a lot of poultry coming into the country are imported from USA and Brazil.
He said the poultry breeds imported into The Gambia from the USA and Europe could better be substituted with breeds that are more adaptable to the local climate, hinting that such breeds can be sourced from other countries such as Egypt, Bangladesh, and India.
Mr Yahya Baldeh, the PRO at the Department of Livestock Services, said The Ministry of Agriculture through the Department of Livestock Services, plans to ban the importation of poultry chicken meat, and eggs in the Gambia to promote local poultry farmers in the country.
“Given that poultry keeping is one of the most popular livestock enterprises in Africa, poultry products do not only serve as an important income-generating activity but also contribute to addressing the food crisis being experienced by most developing countries,” he explained.
He said poultry also serves as a major source of animal protein and is being used in many diets; adding that the sector provides employment directly to individuals in production and marketing, and indirectly through linkages with suppliers of such inputs as day-old chicks, feeds, and veterinary services.
He stated that the commercial poultry sub-sector is virtually dominated by imported poultry products throughout the country, and that any intervention should be directed towards enhancing the lucrative venture of local livestock production.