The poultry and pig industries in Zimbabwe have recorded significant growth during the past four years due to increases in small operations production, according to Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made. Broiler production had grown by more than 500 percent while egg production grew by 300 percent.
"Small to medium scale producers now account for two-thirds of the broiler producers and nearly half of the egg producers," said Made. "In the same period, pig slaughters increased by 31 percent to 141,000 pigs in 2012."
Made said this development addressed dietary diversification recommendations under the country's recently launched Food Security and Nutrition Policy, allAfrica.com reported. He said that the poultry and pig industries have also contributed meaningfully to the gross domestic product, as poultry production added $357 million and the pig industry contributed $39 million to the gross domestic product.
"Close to 82 percent of all stock feeds produced in the country are consumed in the poultry and pig industries making the combined two subsectors the mainstay of the feed industry," he said.
The growth of the sectors has resulted in job creation; however, the uptick in poultry and swine production has created a feed shortage and has made Zimbabwe more reliant on imports, said Made.
"Small to medium scale producers now account for two-thirds of the broiler producers and nearly half of the egg producers," said Made. "In the same period, pig slaughters increased by 31 percent to 141,000 pigs in 2012."
Made said this development addressed dietary diversification recommendations under the country's recently launched Food Security and Nutrition Policy, allAfrica.com reported. He said that the poultry and pig industries have also contributed meaningfully to the gross domestic product, as poultry production added $357 million and the pig industry contributed $39 million to the gross domestic product.
"Close to 82 percent of all stock feeds produced in the country are consumed in the poultry and pig industries making the combined two subsectors the mainstay of the feed industry," he said.
The growth of the sectors has resulted in job creation; however, the uptick in poultry and swine production has created a feed shortage and has made Zimbabwe more reliant on imports, said Made.
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