Poultry industry remains flat

Production in Zimbabwe’s poultry industry has remained flat after 17 million broiler day old chicks were produced in the first quarter of 2016, matching output for the same period last year, an industry official has said.

In an industry update, Zimbabwe Poultry Association (ZPA) chairperson Solomon Zawe said the sector was operating under a harsh economic environment underlined by cash shortages.

“Production and importation of hatching eggs were two percent and 11 percent lower in the first quarter of 2016 and broiler day old chick production averaged 5.8 million per month, being three percent lower than the same period in 2015,” Zawe said.

“As with the rest of the economy, operations in the poultry industry have been impacted upon by the cash crunch,” he said.

Zawe noted that the market for broiler and day old chick was reasonably firm, with low to zero stock holdings reported.

The number of birds slaughtered and the total dressed weight of broiler meat in the large scale chicken abattoirs in the period were 1.5 million birds and 2 480mt per month, 14 percent and 13 percent lower compared to the same period in 2015, respectively.

Broiler prices in the same period under review were up to nine percent lower than the comparable period.

The average producer price was one percent lower and the whole bird price was seven percent lower.

Breeder chick sales and retentions were 12 percent higher compared to the first quarter of 2015.

Zawe, however, noted that breeders in production were 15 percent down on last year. He said chick prices were in decline, averaging $62 per 100 chicks in March. –The Source

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