Poultry sector’s big potential
Despite being a key driver of food security, Botswana’s poultry sector remains heavily reliant on imports, especially when it comes to raw materials.
Currently, the country produces close to 240 million eggs and over 52 million kilograms of poultry meat every year.
The local poultry industry consists of breeding, hatcheries, feed production and both meat and egg production with most large-scale businesses owned by citizens, while a few joint ventures involve foreign investors.
Speaking at the first ever Irvine’s Poultry Expo on Saturday, Assistant Minister of Communications and Innovation, Shawn Nthaile admitted there was still plenty of room for improvement.
“The country’s reliance on importing hatching eggs from South Africa has led to supply chain disruptions due to repeated avian influenza outbreaks in the region. Further, the industry’s dependency on imported raw materials essential for
poultry feed, such as maize, soya and sunflower, which were not produced in sufficient quantities locally is a challenge. This reliance has raised production costs and made the sector vulnerable to international market fluctuations,” noted Nthaile, addressing the masses that flocked to National Agricultural Showgrounds in Sebele over the weekend.
Poultry plays an important role in the agricultural sector, contributing an estimated P3 million to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and directly employing over 25,000 individuals.
Delving deeper into the numbers, Nthaile revealed Botswana’s broiler hatcheries currently have an annual capacity of around 41 million day old chicks.
“Small-scale poultry producers contributed approximately P1 billion to the GDP, and government programmes, such as food subsidies, have supported the sector’s expansion. Many Batswana, particularly youth and women are engaged in the poultry industry through commercial operations, small-scale farming, and supply chain services such as feed production, transport, and retail,” continued the Assistant Minister.
Layer hatcheries possess a capacity of one million day-old chicks, producing around 850,000 points of lay eggs, which yield nearly 20 million dozen eggs annually.
Further, chicken feed producers generate roughly 260,000 tonnes annually, meeting the demand of the sector.
“High chick mortality rates, particularly among small scale producers who often lack access to veterinary support and modern production techniques, significantly impact productivity. However, significant potential for growth exists through better utilisation of existing hatchery and production capacities. If fully optimised, these critical resources can help meet rising domestic demands and reduce our reliance on imports. With appropriate policy support, opportunities within the poultry sector can be expanded, enhancing consumer confidence in locally produced poultry products
while shielding the industry from external shocks,” said Nthaile.