Northern poultry farmer reaps rewards
Closing the food import gap
Amutenya hopes other young people will venture into poultry farming to address food insecurity in Namibia.
Willem Amutenya is a part-time poultry farmer in the Oshikoto Region. He began raising chickens in 2015 and said he noticed a market niche before he took the risk to enter the industry.
"I started buying Boschveld chicks and raising them to sell for slaughter and to aspiring poultry producers. Eventually, I realised there was a financial flow."
Amutenya said the fact that there aren't many chicken producers in the north served as motivation to increase his poultry production.
According to the farmer, given Namibia's present difficulties with food security, there is no disputing the potential of chicken farming in Namibia.
He said a variety of institutions, including hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and lodges regularly require eggs, and that the more people raise chickens, the more the Namibia will close the gap created by the importation of eggs from other nations.
Amutenya said he employs three young people on a permanent basis, and they are responsible for managing a daily egg production of about 680.
“We make an impact in these people’s lives. Some of the employees who started with us left to start their own poultry business.”
He added that his business supplies eggs to locals around Ondangwa, Omuthiya, Oshakati and Ongwediva.
Challenges
According to Amutenya, poultry farming has its share of difficulties, just like any other type of farming, and one of the biggest problems one must prepare for is the price of feed.
"A big challenge is that feed is getting more expensive. We should attract more investors into the country to supply us with feed,” he said.
"A bag of 50kg cost about N$250 when we first started, and today it costs N$ 545, which is tremendous.”
He added that the current price increase is so significant that it demoralises young, aspiring farmers.
Another challenge is the infections one has to control and understand, he said.
“If you are not well informed about diseases that affect chickens and how to remedy them, it becomes a problem.”
Amutenya said he hopes other young people will venture into farming to address food insecurity and economic growth in Namibia.
"I started buying Boschveld chicks and raising them to sell for slaughter and to aspiring poultry producers. Eventually, I realised there was a financial flow."
Amutenya said the fact that there aren't many chicken producers in the north served as motivation to increase his poultry production.
According to the farmer, given Namibia's present difficulties with food security, there is no disputing the potential of chicken farming in Namibia.
He said a variety of institutions, including hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and lodges regularly require eggs, and that the more people raise chickens, the more the Namibia will close the gap created by the importation of eggs from other nations.
Amutenya said he employs three young people on a permanent basis, and they are responsible for managing a daily egg production of about 680.
“We make an impact in these people’s lives. Some of the employees who started with us left to start their own poultry business.”
He added that his business supplies eggs to locals around Ondangwa, Omuthiya, Oshakati and Ongwediva.
Challenges
According to Amutenya, poultry farming has its share of difficulties, just like any other type of farming, and one of the biggest problems one must prepare for is the price of feed.
"A big challenge is that feed is getting more expensive. We should attract more investors into the country to supply us with feed,” he said.
"A bag of 50kg cost about N$250 when we first started, and today it costs N$ 545, which is tremendous.”
He added that the current price increase is so significant that it demoralises young, aspiring farmers.
Another challenge is the infections one has to control and understand, he said.
“If you are not well informed about diseases that affect chickens and how to remedy them, it becomes a problem.”
Amutenya said he hopes other young people will venture into farming to address food insecurity and economic growth in Namibia.
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