2024-04-23 22:27:34
In Cameroon, poultry imports are prohibited to protect local production. But the survival of livestock farms is regularly jeopardized, by avian flu but also by the lack of quality livestock feed at an affordable price. As the International Poultry Show opens in Yaoundé, a new feed factory is inaugurated in Olembe, north of the capital. What impact on the sector?
Faced with the growing demand for poultry farms in Cameroon, the animal feed factory of the NJS group, named following its founder Noutchogoin Jean Samuel and located in Bafoussam, was saturated. From now on, the Cameroonian agri-food champion has another factory in Olembe, north of Yaoundé: Provenderies du Centre. A choice of strategic location, according to its general director.
« This company was born from the fact that our largest feed market for poultry, especially, and pork, is Yaoundé, in the Centerexplains Bart Buytaert. Everything still had to be transported from the West, with all the logistical problems. So we said to ourselves that we needed something in the Center. Hence this factory which takes over a large part of the already existing customer base of the very first company. »
Towards better quality of livestock feed?
This new factory will be able to produce up to 100,000 tonnes of complete feed per year, or more than a third of the current food needs of chicken farms in Cameroon, but also in the future to supply farms in neighboring countries, Congo or Gabon. Expert in nutrition and animal health, Doctor Albert Ichako hopes above all for an upgrade in livestock feed in Cameroon.
« We have a lot of feeders [de provende, le mélange alimentaire destiné aux animaux d’élevage, NDLR] which unfortunately do not respect the characteristics of raw materials and the needs of the animalshe laments. The fact of installing this ultra-modern factory, where we will carry out analyzes in order to meet the needs of the animals, will not only make it possible to fight once morest poor quality feed, but also to make the feed available throughout of the territory. »
Due to lack of local corn, producing broilers is not profitable
There remains a major problem: the availability of corn, which accounts for two thirds of poultry feed. The production of this cereal in Cameroon has been discouraged by the high cost of fertilizers, since Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. The price of corn is the main obstacle for farms, according to the poultry industry, Ipavic. “ Before, we bought corn around 180 french CFA per kilo [l’équivalent de 2,70 euros] and at the start of 2023, we increased to 300 french, recalls its president François Djonou. You can imagine, the price has doubled! Above all, the minister in charge of agriculture must develop corn production “, he insists.
Will the new factory be able to boost local corn production? Between 20 and 40% of the needs for this cereal are still imported. Breeders sell their broiler chickens almost at a loss, due to the high cost of livestock feed. This explains why Cameroonian poultry production, 44 million tonnes last year, has still not recovered since the avian flu of 2016.
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