According to the Namibia Trade Forum, “Chicken farming is a “Low-Hanging Fruit” economic activity which could create employment in the short and medium term for many Namibians.”
Maria Lisa Immanuel, the Senior Trade & Investment Policy Analyst at the Namibia Trade Forum, notes that in the light of the economic hardship facing Namibians, “Now more than ever we need vigorous structural reforms to adjust our economic activities. Now more than ever the government and the private sector needs to work together and collaborate on practical initiatives which could create employment as fast as possible in the short and medium term to save the local economy from drowning and pushing more people into poverty.”
Something that is being done, is an initiative is to stimulate poultry production in the country. Immanuel notes, “Poultry farming comes with untapped business opportunities carrying great potential to create employment across the entire value chain and consequently drive rural industrialisation.”
“Up until 2012, in Namibia we were importing all our poultry products, today local poultry producers are meeting only about 50% of the domestic demand” according to Immanuel. Now, more small to medium enterprises are joining in on the booming poultry business here. Maria Lisa explains this by saying “Small scale poultry farming has the potential to lead rural industrialisation in the regions especially at such times where the effects of drought has threatened food security at house and national level. Most of the rural households in Namibia have always traditionally kept chicken for own consumption. This ‘indigenous knowledge’ factor is the comparative advantage government should take advantage of by planning targeted programmes to make this a reality.”
The Namibian Trade Forum is now driving the conversation about how to expand this sector that we can meet all of our domestic demand locally. As such information sharing sessions are being held and a sector growth strategy is being spear headed by the Namibia Trade Forum.
When asked how Namibians can get involved to establish their own business within the poultry sector, Immanuel explains that “For more information on the poultry sector and how to start poultry farming, don’t hesitate to contact us at the Namibia Trade Forum. They say the first step to starting is information empowerment.”
Contact the Namibia Trade Forum on +264 61 235327 or take a look at their website by clicking here : Namibia Trade Forum
The next poultry information sharing session is scheduled for the 20th of July 2016