Background info
Mass production of chicken meat and eggs began in the 20th century. Since then, the average consumption of poultry products i.e., meat and eggs has grown exponentially. Over the past decade, consumption of poultry in developing countries has surpassed 5% which is far greater than the population growth rate in the same period – this has presented a great opportunity for many individuals to escape poverty.
Poultry production as a source of high quality protein
Typically in many developing countries, some families, mostly rural raise local breeds of chicken to meet their protein needs. The chickens are reared using the extensive production system and are allowed to forage for their food – occasionally though, they are given supplementary food in addition to what they find for themselves. Because it is relatively very cheap to rear local breeds of chicken, families, especially low-income ones, have a relatively reliable source of protein.
Poultry production as a driver of economic growth
According to Bloomberg, the global poultry market is estimated to reach a valuation of $350 billion growing at an average of 3% from 2009. This means the poultry industry is a giant sector under agriculture and still growing. Furthermore, this is the best period to enter poultry production as the Ghanaian government has rolled out a new policy dubbed, “Rearing for food and jobs.” Under this policy, the government of Ghana intends to establish processing plants where they could buy broilers for local farmers and process them into the meat.
Poultry farming as a provider of job security
Since commercial poultry farming is a proven business model, venturing into it could make you a whole lot of money therefore this is a viable career opportunity for unemployed graduates to pursue. Also, you could easily do this as a side hustle to serve as a supplementary income to your 9-5 job. Furthermore, when you decide to take up poultry farming, you have the potential to provide direct and indirect employment to hundreds of people as your business grows – this will help lift a lot of people out of poverty.
Capital required to start
Contrary to popular belief, poultry farming must not necessarily be an expensive business to start as one can begin by rearing a small number of birds. Also, the space required for rearing poultry is not as big as other animals such as cattle or sheep. Furthermore, it is advisable even if you have more money, to start rearing a relatively small number of birds typically 200 day-old layer chicks if you want to produce eggs. From there, you gradually increase the number of your birds and expand your facilities.
Closing remarks
As you can see, it is very clear that poultry farming is a super lucrative business and if done properly, could change the fortunes of the farmer and society at large. So what are you waiting for? Start your poultry business now!
Pkom 