Poultry Farmers Cry Foul Over Market
UGANDA - Farmers in eastern Uganda have expressed frustration over lack of market for their broiler chicken and other poultry products.“We have farmers in the region who are ready to supply over 500 chicken per week. Due to lack of market, however, most of them are turning away from farming,” said Micheal Kisolo, the eastern region agent of Ugachick Uganda.
New Vision reports that the farmers made the revelation recently at Classic Hotel in Mbale town where over 140 poultry farmers attended a one-day workshop.
The training was organised by LC5 councillor for Nakaloke sub-county Micheal Kisolo in partnership with Ugachick Uganda. The training was meant to promote commercial fish and poultry farming.
Mr Kisolo said the biggest consumers of their chicken are hotels, people who roast chicken and supermarkets.
“Our broilers are sold at between sh8,000 and sh15,000 on the market. This market is too small to consume over 500 chicken daily,” he said.
The farmers urged Ugachick to supply them with feeds and medicine at reduced prices.
George Were, the Mbale district veterinary officer, told the farmers to always vaccinate their chicken and report cases of illness affecting their birds. may face.
Mr Kisolo said that treatment and feeding of the birds is currently very expensive as most of them now depend on maize brand and silvered fish which is transported from Jinja.
The farmers agreed to form an association that will help them to look for market for their products and appealed for government support.
The farmers also appealed to Ugachick limited to supply them with feeds and medicine at reduced prices.
George Were the Mbale district Veterinary officer in his opening speech called upon the farmers to always vaccinate their chicken and report new cases of illness their birds face.
He advised the famers to keep their brooders in containers where the birds take water from clean containers as the only way of protecting their birds from dying in big numbers.