COMACO:Helping Communities To Rear Local Chickens

Rearing of local chickens is another viable project that Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) is implementing in the Eastern Province to help communities refrain from poaching while enhancing income and nutrition. Through COMACO’s extension services, poultry groups are being formed and the program has expanded to allow more people to participate. In addition members are learning a variety of husbandry skills to improve poultry production.

The poultry project was initially introduced in 2005 in Lundazi, Chama and Mambwe districts, where approximately 7000 local chickens have been vaccinated against the Newcastle disease. COMACO extension officers vaccinated the birds at a cost to the owner of K100 per chicken in order to sustain the poultry program and be able to buy more vaccines to support expanding poultry groups next year. Results so far show a marked reduction in Newcastle disease in the areas where COMACO carried out the vaccination campaign.

COMACO has also introduced the poultry programme in Luangwa and Chongwe districts and these efforts are beginning to pay off in terms of better income opportunities as more producer groups are being formed. For example, in Mphuka area, farmers recently formed 20 poultry groups with a total of 196 members composed of 94 women and 102 men. In Mburuma, 16 groups exist with a total membership of 206. Other areas are Mpanshya with five groups having 90 members consisting of 30 women and 60 men while in Shikabeta three groups exist with a total number of 56 members of which 26 is women and 30 are men.

The project that started in 2006 has cheered of the Ministry of Agriculture Veterinary Department and COMACO has since strengthened its collaboration with these government offices. COMACO Regional Coordinator Handsen Mseteka revealed that because of the impact of the project in the District, the Ministry supported COMACO by constructing a demonstration project at the Community Trading Centre (CTC).“Both the offices of the District Agriculture Coordinating Officer (DACO) and District Livestock Officer (DLO) have been very supportive in ensuring that the project succeeds. The two offices helped us to put up a poultry demonstration project at Luangwa CTC were farmers undergo training in poultry management,” said Mseteka. He further revealed that the Ministry had also assisted the project with vaccines for a number of poultry producers groups, to enable them produce high quality, disease free chickens.

District Livestock Development Officer Mr Amon Nyirenda said he was impressed with the poultry project especially that it was targeting poor people in the district. “The initiative that WCS is implementing is an excellent one that I would recommend. I am saying so because there is a market component tied with production. Usually, market has been a major drawback for most farmers to produce different products.” He explained that farmers being supported by COMACO were diversifying their production because of the ready market for their products. Mr Nyirenda indicated that honey production had tremendously improved from zero to 1,000kgs and COMACO was purchasing the product from the farmers. “This is the same scenario under poultry production and it has really triggered most farmers to start participating in poultry production,” explained Mr Nyirenda.

He revealed that Luangwa had a chicken population of over 25,000, out numbering other livestock like cattle and goats. “This is a clear indication that farmers can really reap good monies from the project if they overcome poultry diseases which are a major problem in the area,” said Mr Nyirenda

Mr Nyirenda advised farmers to take chicken rearing as a business and apply business concepts to sustain the project. “Poultry is a very good business to venture in because chickens can multiply within a short period of time. With good management and expertise, chickens can lay eggs about four to five times in a year unlike other livestock,” he said. He noted that producer groups were able to meet their basic needs from the money they realised after selling the chickens to COMACO.

Mr Nyirenda further noted that WCS was also supplementing government’s efforts by promoting extension delivery, which the government alone could not manage.“As you know, the government has limited resources, limited man power but COMACO is helping the government to reach those households that would have not been covered by the government in extension services,” explained Mr Nyirenda. He said COMACO had a good record of success in its all project areas, hence government was also benefiting from the results.

Participating households have also accepted poultry as an important income generating activity and are anticipating much more than promises of better markets. COMACO has already started purchasing chickens from farmers who are complying with conservation strategies and has encouraged farmers to rear more chickens because of the high demand. The chickens are later sold to restaurants and lodges within Luangwa District. Plans are under way to find new markets in Lusaka.

Anna Mwanza, who is a widow, said she has greatly benefited from the initiative. She disclosed that from this project, she has managed to send her children to school from the money she realised after selling some of her chickens to COMACO. “We have at least sold 30 chickens already to COMACO and received good monies that have enabled me to buy essentials for my children’s education. At least I will now concentrate on improving my poultry house because I know that there is a ready market for the chickens,” she said. Mwanza disclosed that as a group, they have over 58 chickens which they are rearing for sale.

CS/COMACO hopes that this income generating initiative will attract many other people in the area that are still engaged in illegal vices that lead to unauthorized harvesting of natural resources.