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Beauty Jiji Correspondent

THE Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme successfully launched in all the country’s 10 provinces has proved its potential to make a difference in ordinary people’s lives.

The Zimbabwe Free Range Poultry Association (ZFRPA) is a membership-based organisation with members from across the country.

In a deal, the association was contracted by Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MLAFWRD) to supply 30 million 4-week-old birds and 300 000 kg stress mix to three million households across the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe under the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme (PRPS).

Progress to date

The association has since started distribution of the birds, feed and stress mix packs across all ten provinces in Zimbabwe.  The National Launch (NL) of the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme was done at Sipambi village in Masvingo province on August 25 this year.

After the launch by President Mnangagwa, all the 10 provinces then organised provincial launches, (PL) which are now being followed up with roll-out (RO) to districts.

To date, ZFRPA has managed to distribute 313 969 birds at different ages, 24 164 Stress Mix packs and 11 716 packets of 10 kilogramme bags countrywide guided by the MLAFWRD.

So far about 40 000 households have directly benefited from programme with over 2 000 people being employed by the producers’ members.

How to ensure continued supply of birds to the PRPS

In order to ensure continuity in distribution to communities, the association has contracted over 500 breeders who are supplying day old chicks on weekly basis (Tuesdays) and has also organised for producers who have no access to small hatcheries, a Commercial Hatchery (Kunest hatchery).

ZFRPA receives fertilised eggs on Sundays which are then sent to the commercial hatchery for a fee and the day-old chicks are then taken for brooding and currently there are over 205 547 fertile eggs in incubation.

On weekly basis, ZFRPA receives an average of 50 000-day-old chicks, which are then sent to ZFRPA brooders before distribution. Currently there are over 300 000 birds in ZFRPA brooders across the country.

Who else benefits from the PRPS?

• Producer farmers – supplying day old chicks to the programme.
• Breeders – producing fertilised eggs.
• Hatchery – to hatch fertilised eggs to day old chicks for the programme. There is one commercial hatchery and over 40 small to medium range hatcheries. These supply services and day-old chicks to the PRPS
• Transporters – ferrying eggs to hatchery, chicks to brooders, feed to brooders and birds to distribution. So far about nine key transporters were contracted and working with ZFRPA.
• Boxes, crates and cages suppliers – supplying packing materials for eggs, day old chicks, birds to distribution points. Currently there are two main suppliers where ZFRPA buys or hires these from.
• Coal supplier – supplying charcoal for heating brooding fowl runs. Currently there is one lady supplier who has since bought a truck from proceeds of the programme.
• Fowl runs owners – ZFRPA is currently renting about 11 complexes across the country which are the brooding sites. ZFRPA has now recruited more than 90 stockmen to manage chicks in brooders.
• Fabricators – to make burners for the brooding houses. ZFRPA currently has two small fabricators whom it is working with.

Future Plans

• Increase production of day-old chicks and brooding facilities so as to meet the set targets of 64 000 birds per week distribution.
• ZFRPA is working with producer farmers to come up with business models for post PRPS, looking at local and export markets.
• Launch the free-range poultry production and marketing standard for Zimbabwe and educate participating producers to ensure future free range poultry products meet the required local and international standards.

Conclusion

From observations and experiences, the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme has potential to make great impact at household levels, which can lead to empowerment of vulnerable groups, ensure food and nutrition security, eradicate poverty across Zimbabwe and contribute to the national GDP.

This will contribute immensely towards Vision 2030 as free-range chickens are a low hanging fruit in livestock production and the only venture where hierarchical approval system to dispose is not required, which then means all women, youths, disabled and elderly can participate.