Findings of a survey on the performance of local chicken rearing as a poverty reduction intervention and hurdles stakeholders encounter in the business has been released in a one-day stakeholders’ meeting held at Mukono Zonal Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MUZARDI).
The meeting attended by researchers, farmers, scientists, youth representatives and political leaders, saw release of research findings in a project code-named “Greening the Chicken Value Chain Project” which was initiated by MUZARDI, Gudie Leisure Farm and University of Burundi and funded by Science Foundation in Africa.
The National Chicken Value Chain Multisectoral Coordination Platform is operational in ten central region districts of Mukono, Wakiso, Lwengo, Kalangala, Gomba, Buikwe, Luweero, Kampala, Masaka and Mityana.
The earlier conducted baseline survey was intended to identify operation of local chicken among communities, its challenges and possible methods of overcoming them.
The MUZARDI Director of Research, Dr. Barbara Zawedde Mugwanya said the major objective of the research was identifying problems and requirements by stakeholders in the chicken production line right from hatchery to the consumer and to make necessary adjustments for the business to become easier and more profitable.
Dr. Zawedde said the platform wants to remove a situation where poultry farmers, especially the youth are operating in isolation, and begin working in consultation among all stakeholders for exchanging ideas and best practices for maximized profits and best health for their birds. “The bottom line is to streamline this business to become a true avenue for poverty reduction,” she said.
An official from the National Animal Genetic Resource Centre and Databank, Dr. Jackson Mubiru said the interaction is a joint stakeholders’ venture geared at taking poultry to new levels with assurances of getting farmers, especially the youth, out of poverty.
Dr. Mubiru said the project has seen new dimensions including processing chicken droppings into fertilizers, animal feeds and briquettes for use as a source of fuel, replacing the environment unfriendly charcoal and firewood.
The earlier conducted baseline survey was intended to identify operation of local chicken among communities, its challenges and possible methods of overcoming them, ahead of introduction to youths for handling in a more business oriented manner.
During the brainstorming session, Kalangala District Agricultural Officer, William Majwala advised that the team should endeavour to identify a market as an incentive to farmers to get on board with assurance that they will not get stranded with their chicken after spending heavily on rearing them.
And the Executive Director for an organisation called Nurture African Youth Network, Junior Victor Akansasira pointed out that youths should be given some financial support as a way of refraining them from over dependence on their parents who provide them with usable resources and as a way forward, suggested that digitalization be incorporated in the project so that youths conduct their undertakings online.
“Today, the fathers who provide land and capital may at any one time decide to grab their dependents’ business on realizing that it is prospering, and throw out the youths,” he said.
On challenges faced by the project, Makerere University Climate Change specialist, Dr. Saul Daniel Ddumba cited unpredictable rains, rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, increased heat stress and lack of readily available quality feeds.
Other challenges pointed out by Dr. Ddumba include coping with water scarcity, increased disease prevalence, coping with pest pressure, price fluctuation, and high transport costs as a result of disruption due to bad roads.
He however gave assurances that in the project districts, there are sustainably ample rains unless disorganized by unforetold climate change, while the temperature is also adequate for chicken.
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The Programme leader in charge of technology promotion and outreach, Dr. Damalie B. Magala in her presentation noted that local chicken rearing has greatly excited Ugandans but that the hiccup is that many operate in isolation and thus missing out on components which can best be accessed through joint work.
Dr. Magala hailed MUZARDI, Gudie Leisure Farm, Burundi University and the Science Foundation for Africa for innovative thinking which resulted in the project bringing stakeholders together.
“We are concerned about challenges of everybody including consumers, so that we find means of streamlining the business in the face of hardships like market price fluctuations, disease prevalence, high cost of inputs and other hurdles making operations difficult,” she pointed out.
She added that local breeds were zeroed because of their resistance to disease, and added that today, researchers are bent on identifying the necessary feeds and other methods of making local breeds grow relatively faster, to say, four-five months to get to the stage of laying eggs or being eaten.
In a closing remark, Mukono district vice chairperson, Haji Asuman Muwumuza praised initiators of the project for their foresightedness, noting that whoever comes out with a programme for youth advancement is a friend and partner of the government.
Despite all cited challenges, Muwumuza noted that poultry is the way to go when society is looking for a life changing endeavour, and predicted that with the platform in place, Uganda is destined to see great strides made in poultry.
Earlier, Mukono Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Margaret Tekisooka Nkata hailed the project saying it is in line with government policy of fighting poverty and is in consonance with President Museveni’s brainchild of “emyooga”.
Nkata expressed Mukono district leadership’s readiness to move hand in hand with stakeholders in ensuring its success.
Dr. Imelda Kashaija who represented the Director General National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) hailed the organisers of the workshop for good and on point mobilization saying; “unlike the many workshops where the scientists speak to themselves, I have observed a majority of youths who have fully attended the workshop and farmers. I am convinced that the real targeted beneficiaries of the project have been met.”
She added: “There are cases where you organize a workshop meant to benefit the farmers but the room is dominated by scientists, extension workers, policy makers and politicians. Fortunately, that is not the case here.”
Dr. Kashaija said that the project is so good in a way that it subscribes to the world health concept with a linkage of efforts ensuring that there is a multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary effort for ensuring there is human, animal and environmental health uplifted, maintained and sustained.
An exhibition showcasing new local innovations was held with exhibitors demonstrating items including biogas production and use to cut down on the environment unfriendly fuel sources, chicken drinkers and feeders, egg trays and egg collection baskets made out of recycled plastics, solar powered incubators, floor pavers made out of cement and egg shells, and many others.
