Hamster255
JF-Expert Member
- Mar 19, 2018
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Tanzania’s chicken imports ban coming home to roost
Tanzania is facing a biting shortage of chicken that has seen retail prices rise, months after it banned importation of poultry from neighbouring countries.
Big hotels and food shops across the country, mostly in Dar es Salaam and Arusha cities, are feeling the impact of the shortage.
Tanzania Poultry Breeders Association secretary general Manase Mrindwa told The EastAfrican that some firms had stopped production of day-old chicks, leading to a shortage of broilers and layers.
Breeders say they have failed to produce enough chicken due to the high taxes charged on the importation of parent-stock, which produces fertilised eggs.
Tanzania also declined to ratify a regional agreement which allows East Africa Community partner states to share veterinary services.
T
he failure by Tanzania to approve the Mutual Recognition Agreement for East African Vets which came into force in 2016 has made it difficult for other EAC member states to export chicken to Tanzania.
The agreement provides that any EAC member state can import or export chicken and livestock within the region as long as the animals have been tested by a veterinary professional from any of the signatory countries.
On October 31, 2017, government authorities in Arusha destroyed 6,400 chicks imported from Kenya through the Namanga border crossing.
Tanzania has an estimated chicken population of 32 million commercially bred birds — 24 million broilers and eight million layers.
The country’s per capita consumption of chicken is estimated at 15kg per year. Production capacity for egg and meat broiler chicken is 750,000 per week against an official demand estimate of over 3.7 million per week, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries records show.
Tanzania is facing a biting shortage of chicken that has seen retail prices rise, months after it banned importation of poultry from neighbouring countries.
Big hotels and food shops across the country, mostly in Dar es Salaam and Arusha cities, are feeling the impact of the shortage.
Tanzania Poultry Breeders Association secretary general Manase Mrindwa told The EastAfrican that some firms had stopped production of day-old chicks, leading to a shortage of broilers and layers.
Breeders say they have failed to produce enough chicken due to the high taxes charged on the importation of parent-stock, which produces fertilised eggs.
Tanzania also declined to ratify a regional agreement which allows East Africa Community partner states to share veterinary services.
T
he failure by Tanzania to approve the Mutual Recognition Agreement for East African Vets which came into force in 2016 has made it difficult for other EAC member states to export chicken to Tanzania.
The agreement provides that any EAC member state can import or export chicken and livestock within the region as long as the animals have been tested by a veterinary professional from any of the signatory countries.
On October 31, 2017, government authorities in Arusha destroyed 6,400 chicks imported from Kenya through the Namanga border crossing.
Tanzania has an estimated chicken population of 32 million commercially bred birds — 24 million broilers and eight million layers.
The country’s per capita consumption of chicken is estimated at 15kg per year. Production capacity for egg and meat broiler chicken is 750,000 per week against an official demand estimate of over 3.7 million per week, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries records show.