Poultry feeds sector output declines
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
Zimbabwe Poultry Association chairperson, Solomon Zawe, revealed that during 2017, stockfeed industry totalled 281 011mt, but recorded a decrease of 21% in quantity as well as 16% in value compared to 2016.
He said poultry feeds accounted for 63% of all feeds produced by weight and 70% by monetary value.
Zawe said the prices of most raw materials procured in the fourth quarter were higher than prices in the third quarter, notably maize bran 12%, urea 15%, salt 11%, hay 14%, fine and coarse limestone flour 21% and 12%, respectively.
“The notable exception was monocalcium phosphate, which decreased in cost by 21%. As a result, prices of most feeds in the fourth quarter were a few percentage points higher than prices in the second quarter,” Zawe said.
He said average weighted broiler and layer feed prices in the fourth quarter of 2017 were $621 and $484/mt, respectively. This was 1% and 3% higher than prices in the third quarter of 2017.
While layers breeder chick sales and retentions in 2017 remained static compared to 2016, Zawe said growing and in-lay layer breeder stocks continued to decline from highs reached in 2013.
He said locally produced and imported hatching eggs also declined and totalled 5,3 million in 2017 compared to 7,3 million in 2016.
Total sexed pullet production was 1,7 million, being 15% lower than 2016, Zawe said, adding price of sexed pullets also increased over the year from $1,15 in December 2016 to $1,32 in December 2017.
He said the reduction in chick supply decreased large scale broiler meat production from 3 247mt in June to 2,672mt in August, which then recovered to 3 413mt in December.
However, the number of birds processed and broiler meat production in the large scale formal sector in the fourth quarter of 2017 were 18% and 17% higher than the same period in 2016, respectively, he said.
In addition, Zawe said whole bird wholesale prices rose from $3,21/kg in June to $3,73/kg in December.
“The impact of the reduced supply of day-old chicks was most evident in small-holder production, where broiler meat production is estimated to have declined from 7,492mt in June to 3 328mt in July and recovered to 7,597mt in December,” he said.
Zawe said estimated total broiler meat produced in 2017 of 106mt was 10% lower than that of 2016 due to a 2 and 14% decline in production in both the large- and small-scale sectors, respectively.
Poultry industry is on a recovery path following an outbreak of avian influenza in the country last year.