Farmers Review Africa Sept/Oct 2019 Farmers Review Africa September - October 2019 dig | Page 37

POULTRY AFRICA
Poultry Farming - Africa’s love for chicken and eggs
P
oultry farming in Africa is one the biggest
business opportunities on the continent.
Africa’s love for poultry meat and eggs
has grown at a staggering pace. Every year, the
continent imports more than two million metric
tons of poultry products valued at nearly US$3
billion to meet domestic demand.
In 2012 alone, more than five million tons of
poultry meat and two million tons of eggs were
consumed in Africa. Africa’s love for chicken
and eggs is increasing with the size of its rapidly
growing population.
Chicken and eggs are a rich source of animal
protein for millions of Africans. The young
population, who make up more than 70 percent of
the continent’s people are the highest consumers
of poultry products.
Although it is home to 13 percent of the global
population, Africa provides just 4 percent of the
world’s poultry products. The average African eats
one egg every five or six weeks, while the average
Japanese person eats eggs almost daily. The
same holds true for poultry meat consumption.
In one year, the average African consumes only
3.3 kilograms of poultry meat, compared to 28
kilograms for the average French person, and 14
kilograms worldwide. Poultry products remain a
luxury in many sub-Saharan African countries,
despite substantial animal protein needs. Africa’s
poultry market is experiencing a boom as a result
of its rapid population and economic growth.
Brazil and China have become the largest
exporters of frozen chicken to our markets and
have made it nearly impossible for local poultry
farms to thrive. African poultry production is
dominated by South African companies, as four
of the top six broiler producers are headquartered
in South Africa.
RCL Foods and Astral Foods are by far the
continent’s largest two poultry companies,
having slaughtered 260 million and 228.3 million
broilers annually in 2017, according to the Poultry
International Top Poultry Companies Survey both
are South African companies.
Coming in at a distant third is Cairo Poultry,
headquartered in Egypt, which slaughtered 75
million broiler chickens in 2017.
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 low-cost 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 chicken. Its imports for grain as well as
chicken have been rising as a result. Its import of
poultry products is estimated at $3 billion a year.
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
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