Zimbabwe Poultry Show Draws More Farmers as Indigenous Breeds Gain Interest

Zimbabwe’s poultry sector recorded increased participation at this year’s Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, with 269 farmers exhibiting poultry, compared with 105 last year.

Farmers displayed breeds including Brahma, Orpington, Cochin, Bantam, Indigenous, Pekin and Australorp, as well as guinea fowl, turkeys and quails.

The show also featured ostriches for the first time. A pair owned by Chief Nenguwo of Marondera West attracted visitors, with children given an opportunity to ride the birds.

The chief’s wife, Nyaradzo Shonhai, said the family entered ostrich production partly to support tourism at their homestead. She added that ostriches can feed on locally available materials such as vegetables, grains and household leftovers.

Chief Executive of the Zimbabwe Free Range Poultry Association, Beauty Jiji, said the rise in exhibitors showed growing interest in poultry as a business.

Jiji said farmers were also showing greater interest in indigenous breeds, which can adapt to local conditions and make use of available feed resources.

She encouraged farmers to consider guinea fowl and free-range chickens as alternative enterprises, particularly where feed costs are high.

The association is also exploring black soldier fly larvae as a protein source for poultry feed. Jiji said the alternative could potentially reduce production costs by up to 40 percent, depending on how it is produced and used.

The association is working with the Grain Marketing Board to improve access to feed resources and promote small-grain production for livestock feed.