Poultry market expected to grow

The poultry market is expected to continue growing due to increasing demand for poultry meat worldwide, Namib Mills Group chief executive officer Ian Collard said.Collard’s statement was contained in a media release, after minister of agriculture, water and land reform Calle Schlettwein recently visited the Namib Poultry Industries processing plant near Windhoek.Collard said according to forecasts by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, global poultry meat production will reach 100 million tonnes in 2020. The growth is expected in countries like China, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, Brazil and Mexico. The growing demand will also offer opportunities to smaller producer countries like Namibia.He said currently, the poultry industry offers about 702 permanent jobs to Namibians, and in 2017, the company contributed N$ 201 million to the Namibian economy, which is a direct contribution of 0.12 percent to the Gross Domestic Product.“There is also room for growth for small-scale poultry producers. Compared to regional markets, chicken consumption in Namibia is relatively low at only 13 kilogrammes per capita per annum compared to South Africa’s 38 kilogrammes and Mauritius’ 36 kilogrammes per capita, so there is potential for growth. The industry has plans to expand to export markets and there will be a need to supply the local demand where small-scale producers play an important role,” said Collard.He added that the poultry industry supports small-scale poultry farmers via a small and medium enterprise support programme to develop the sector in Namibia by supplying one-day-old chicks, Feedmaster feed and training. Poultry farming can supplement cattle farming and continue as source of cash flow to small-scale producers, he further noted.Policies“The visit of minister Schlettwein was important to Namib Poultry Industries processing plant because of the importance of the regulations and policies related to the poultry industry. When dealing with chickens, quality and food security are of extreme importance. Namibia has been lucky to avoid bird flu outbreaks which are prominent in many countries,” Collard emphasised.He further added that given the global situation in disease outbreaks, Namibia should put in efforts to maintain the good health situation as this gives the country a competitive advantage, especially in the poultry sector, but in other sectors as well. NPI forms part of the Namib Mills Investment Group. - Nampa

Poultry market expected to grow

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Poultry market expected to grow

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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