THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) says it expects the acute shortage of day-old-chicks to improve significantly after the Government put in place statutory provisions for the importation of nearly 9,5 million fertilised poultry eggs.

Demand for day-old-chicks, a major source of income for companies and individuals in Zimbabwe given that chickens are an integral element of the local peoples’ diet, reports indicated gradual easing of Covid-19 restrictions, demand had skyrocketed, overwhelming breeders.

According to poultry producers, egg and day-old-chick imports attracted about 40 percent duty, which in effect increased the retail price for chicks and chickens as the end product, factoring the cost of importing.

CZI said amid reports of shortage of day-old-chicks in the country, Government had stepped in to ease the situation by suspending duty on imported fertilised poultry eggs for hatching by approved breeders.

According to Statutory Instrument, 245 of 2020, suspension of duty on fertilised poultry eggs for hatching by approved breeders, a total of 9 day-old chicks producers will benefit from this measure, which will allow the importation of 9 458 000 eggs in total.

Duty has been wholly suspended on fertilised poultry eggs for hatching by approved poultry breeders with effect from October 1, 2020 to March31, 2021.

Irvine’s Zimbabwe has the highest quarter to import 4,1 million fertilised eggs. Hukuru Chickens will be able to import 456 000 eggs, same as Charles Stuart Day Old Chicks
456 000, Sondelani Ranching Company 380 500, Kudu Creek Farm 456 000 and Twowork Enterprises 1,826 million.

Customs and excise duty has been suspended for imports for approved breeders namely Zim Avian 700 000, Doctor Henn Investments 762 000, Chinyika Day Old Chicks 305 000.

According to a Livestock and Meat Advisory Council 2019 report, poultry breeders produced an estimated 70 million day-old chicks compared to 86 million produced in 2018.

The slump in output was attributed to escalating costs of stock feed as well as reduction in demand.

Total poultry meat production last year was estimated at 114 300 tonnes, being 20 percent lower than that of 2018, but similar to total estimated production in the prior years 2014 to 2016. — BH24.