Trends and prospects of poultry value chains in Africa

Abstract

This paper presents the current situation of poultry value chains (PVCs) and future trends using the most recent and accurate statistical data in Africa. It discusses the challenges facing the PVCs in uncertain socio-economic environments and explores the opportunities and prospects for PVCs under promising improvement in human capital development and innovative technology transfer realities. With the poultry-derived foods being critically important for a healthy and productive society, poultry value chains (PVCs) have been making substantial progress in Africa since 1961. Although poultry production is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in Africa with an average 10-year growth rate of 40.9% in Africa compared with 36.2% worldwide from 1961 to 2021, such a growth is much more noticeable in Northern (53.1%) and Southern (52.9%) African countries. These high poultry stocks are the benefits of decades of poultry research and development investments in day-old chicks from high-performance hybrid stocks, balanced feeds, drugs, vaccines and the presence of consumers who can afford to buy commercial poultry products. Poultry meat is the largest source of animal protein in the human diet, while egg consumption is higher than that of mutton, goat, pork, and camel meats. In Africa, data show that future consumption projection rates have been highest (99% since 2004) for white-meat and eggs. Regardless of country’s economic level, PVCs have taken the lead in the production of animal products. In 2022, chickens accounted for 97.0% of the Africa’s total poultry numbers and contributed 83.0% and 99.8% of poultry meat and egg production, respectively. The PVCs are expected to continue to grow as demands for poultry meat and eggs are driven by human population growth, increased purchasing power, higher urbanization rate and enhanced communication. Nonetheless, due to low productivity, the growing demand for poultry products has not been accompanied by an equivalent growth in local production. The PVCs in Africa are also facing unprecedented challenges, both in rural and urban areas, poultry being a major asset and key to poverty alleviation, income generation, employment, and market participation. The aims of this paper are to highlight the trends, constraints and opportunities to the PVC actors in Africa.