JUBA – A returnee poultry group called South Farmers is urging communities and individual farmers to become poultry out-growers to enable them meet peoples’ demands.
“Since we started processing our grown up broilers we have witnessed a shift from consumer taste demanding more of locally produced broiler chicken, deviating away from the imported frozen chicken this demand makes it difficult for us to meet the needs of our customers,” James Nyikole the manager of the group said.
“Therefore, we are reaching out and calling for the potential poultry farmers in and around Juba to join our out-grower scheme where they grow the broiler chicken for us at agreeable price and weight.”
According to Nyikole, “It means farmers will have to focus on production of broilers at the farms’ level and once the chicken have reach a particular weight which has to be agreed prior we will then buy the chicken for our processing facility and we can then supply the consumer market.”
He said it is the only way to reduce the imported frozen chicken dramatically and promote local production leading to the growth of the gross domestic products.
“No single country can grow by importing products but rather engaging on local production has a larger multiplier effect on the economy.”
Nyikole added that South Sudan is the only country in the region that imports frozen chicken.
The group leader mentioned countries in the region such as Uganda and Kenya do not allow imported frozen chicken into their countries because they are protective of their local and infant poultry sectors.
“We also urge the government to follow suit and offer the poultry sector level playing ground for the benefits of our farmers. The support of the government is very crucial in developing entrepreneurial spirit in this country,” said Nyikole.
He also called on the government to join them in sensitizing the population to encourage local production and increase duties on imported frozen chicken to offer level playing field.
In addition Nyikole appealed to the government to help remove custom duties on chicken feeds and other agricultural inputs so that these goods once imported are cheaper to the farmers and they would be encouraged in their efforts.
Recently, national government officials visited the facility which is located west of Juba.
The first was on the Oct. 5–the Minister of Defence and SPLA Affairs, Kuol Manyang.
Manyang was impressed to see the facility in the country and he offered his interest to lead by example by becoming a poultry farmer at his personal level.
He also said it is important for the government to incorporate poultry farming into the demobilization commission to assist demobilized men and women in uniform get engaged in income generation activities through poultry farms which have a shorter maturity.
“This is very interesting if our leaders can lead by example, it will encourage our people to get involved in farming to fight food insecurity,” said Auditor General Steven Wondu at the facility.
South Farmers is the production of One Day Old Chicks through their hatchery facility and in supply of feeds, and other poultry inputs, managing broiler farms and slaughtering facility.
Since the project started in April this year, they have seen a number of youth and women got involved in poultry farming and this has created direct employment.
“In addition local production of poultry by the citizens will also offer an opportunity to solve the problem of insecurity in the country and the fear in consumers mind that the imported frozen chicken have healthy concerns in human body and indeed these fears are real,” said Nyikole.
According to him, some of these imported chickens are grown on feed that came from genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), having lots of hormones to make them grower faster (3-4 weeks).
“No one knows when they were slaughtered, time in high seas and the time they arrive into South Sudan so the risk is greater on human health.”
He further said, “Now we have offered the alternatives for consumers in the country now to eat fresh chicken right from the farm. Either from our own farm or smallholder farmers themselves the offer them to the consumers,”
Moi Julius