Feed the chickens…
Chicken forms a critical part of the African diet but the continent seems unable to produce enough for its own needs.
Africa, which imports nearly 83% of the food it consumes, has a real chicken and egg problem. The continent is caught between pressure from imports in some countries and an inability to meet demand in others.
Africa's chicken crisis is an expression of overall weaknesses in its agricultural system. If Africa cannot raise its grain production it cannot expect do well in increasing its chicken output.
It is a complex problem. Producing chickens requires feed such as corn. Yet producing grain to meet human needs remains one of the continent's most pressing challenges. Africa's urban populations, for example, are growing faster than the continent can produce grain. This has contributed to Africa's shift from being a net food exporter to being a net food importer.
The inability to ramp up grain production has affected Africa's ability to feed its people as well as its chickens. Its imports for grain as well as chicken have been rising as a result. Its import of poultry products is estimated at US$3 billion a year.
Imports lead to oversupply
South Africa has the capacity to grow its own chickens at a far cheaper rate compared to most countries in the world. However it is unable to do so due to imports.
South Africa has a trade agreement with the US which allows for tariff-free quotas of key agricultural products. One of these is chicken from the US. This is done in exchange for preferential trade under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
With increased imports following the trade agreement, additional imported chicken has been added to the South Africa. This has led to oversupply and price reduction. This may benefit consumers, but it undercuts incentives for local production.
In much of the rest of Africa the problem is different.
Inability to meet demand
Population growth, urbanisation and changing diets have over the last 20 years shifted African meat consumption away from beef to pork and poultry. According to some estimates, chicken now accounts for nearly half of the meat consumed in Africa.
The supply of poultry has not kept up with the demand, which is in turn pushing up prices.
The demand for chicken in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania is projected to rise significantly over the next decade. Chicken prices in those countries are already prohibitive given the fact that large sections of the population live on less than US$2 a day. The challenge now is finding ways to increase production while competing with imports.
Poultry production challenges
At face value the situation looks like an opportunity for entrepreneurs to align production with the rising demand. The challenge, however, is more deep-rooted. The factors (such as poor infrastructure, low investment in research, limited technical training and a lack of farm incentives) limiting poultry production are similar to those affecting the rest of the agricultural system.
The solution to Africa's chicken crisis lies in upgrading agricultural systems overall. Here are the major limitations:
Low-cost, high-quality feed. Expanding feed production involves investing in grain production, especially corn and soya.
The lack of starter stock (chicks and broilers bred specifically for meat production). Improvements in this area will require better breeding and extension programs akin to those needed for crops. Nearly 84% of chicken in Kenya is based on local breeds that have low levels of efficiency in converting feed into meat.
Disease control. The most common threat to chickens is Newcastle disease. But the frightening spectrum of new infectious diseases calls for more investment in livestock diseases in general and chicken diseases in particular.
Poor infrastructure (especially energy, transportation and water supply systems) is a major barrier to the expansion of chicken production, especially in rural areas. A lack of cold storage facilities forces farmers to keep feeding their chickens instead of slaughtering and refrigerating them. They generally transport live chickens to markets, which raises logistical costs and increases concerns over disease transmission.
The lack of credit for producers. Countries that provide credit for crop producers to purchase seed and farm input have the opportunity to extend their incentives to chicken production.
So far Africa can hardly feed its people. But even worse, it cannot feed its chickens so that it can feed its people. The chicken crisis is yet another reason why Africa must focus on getting its agricultural act together. The crisis is a warning to African leaders: they need to wake up with the chickens and act in time.
– The Conversation
*Calestous Juma is a professor of the Practice of International Development at Harvard University.
Calestous Juma
Africa's chicken crisis is an expression of overall weaknesses in its agricultural system. If Africa cannot raise its grain production it cannot expect do well in increasing its chicken output.
It is a complex problem. Producing chickens requires feed such as corn. Yet producing grain to meet human needs remains one of the continent's most pressing challenges. Africa's urban populations, for example, are growing faster than the continent can produce grain. This has contributed to Africa's shift from being a net food exporter to being a net food importer.
The inability to ramp up grain production has affected Africa's ability to feed its people as well as its chickens. Its imports for grain as well as chicken have been rising as a result. Its import of poultry products is estimated at US$3 billion a year.
Imports lead to oversupply
South Africa has the capacity to grow its own chickens at a far cheaper rate compared to most countries in the world. However it is unable to do so due to imports.
South Africa has a trade agreement with the US which allows for tariff-free quotas of key agricultural products. One of these is chicken from the US. This is done in exchange for preferential trade under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
With increased imports following the trade agreement, additional imported chicken has been added to the South Africa. This has led to oversupply and price reduction. This may benefit consumers, but it undercuts incentives for local production.
In much of the rest of Africa the problem is different.
Inability to meet demand
Population growth, urbanisation and changing diets have over the last 20 years shifted African meat consumption away from beef to pork and poultry. According to some estimates, chicken now accounts for nearly half of the meat consumed in Africa.
The supply of poultry has not kept up with the demand, which is in turn pushing up prices.
The demand for chicken in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania is projected to rise significantly over the next decade. Chicken prices in those countries are already prohibitive given the fact that large sections of the population live on less than US$2 a day. The challenge now is finding ways to increase production while competing with imports.
Poultry production challenges
At face value the situation looks like an opportunity for entrepreneurs to align production with the rising demand. The challenge, however, is more deep-rooted. The factors (such as poor infrastructure, low investment in research, limited technical training and a lack of farm incentives) limiting poultry production are similar to those affecting the rest of the agricultural system.
The solution to Africa's chicken crisis lies in upgrading agricultural systems overall. Here are the major limitations:
Low-cost, high-quality feed. Expanding feed production involves investing in grain production, especially corn and soya.
The lack of starter stock (chicks and broilers bred specifically for meat production). Improvements in this area will require better breeding and extension programs akin to those needed for crops. Nearly 84% of chicken in Kenya is based on local breeds that have low levels of efficiency in converting feed into meat.
Disease control. The most common threat to chickens is Newcastle disease. But the frightening spectrum of new infectious diseases calls for more investment in livestock diseases in general and chicken diseases in particular.
Poor infrastructure (especially energy, transportation and water supply systems) is a major barrier to the expansion of chicken production, especially in rural areas. A lack of cold storage facilities forces farmers to keep feeding their chickens instead of slaughtering and refrigerating them. They generally transport live chickens to markets, which raises logistical costs and increases concerns over disease transmission.
The lack of credit for producers. Countries that provide credit for crop producers to purchase seed and farm input have the opportunity to extend their incentives to chicken production.
So far Africa can hardly feed its people. But even worse, it cannot feed its chickens so that it can feed its people. The chicken crisis is yet another reason why Africa must focus on getting its agricultural act together. The crisis is a warning to African leaders: they need to wake up with the chickens and act in time.
– The Conversation
*Calestous Juma is a professor of the Practice of International Development at Harvard University.
Calestous Juma
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