The power deficit in the southern African region has negatively affected poultry producers in Zimbabwe and Zambia, a latest report on the African poultry sector has noted.
Currently, Zambia and the entire southern African region are faced with the challenge of electricity deficit.
“Power woes hobbling the southern African region are hitting poultry producers in Zimbabwe and Zambia. The current situation has been devastating for poultry producers.
The report says while Zambian and Zimbabwean poultry producers are grappling with power cuts, Angola destroyed about 11 million illegally imported chicken eggs this month as African countries try to control cheap poultry products imports that may constrain local producers.
However, according to expert, local producers are constrained by rising input costs and are unable to meet demand, leading to shortages of poultry which is a key protein nutrient for the region’s population.
Meanwhile, the report noted that some poultry farmers in Mansa have turned to charcoal as an alternative source of energy to warm up their poultry.
Mansa poultry producers’ chairperson Dennis Ng’andwe said almost all its members are complaining that the chicken business has become very expensive because they have to spend on feed, vaccine, charcoal, maize bran and other costs to ensure they stay afloat.
“Information about areas that hold investment potential in the poultry sector is very scant. In addition, very little is documented about the interest of Zambian investors in local and international poultry industry partnerships,” Mr Ng’andwe said.
In South Africa, the poultry producers association pleaded with their government to seek ways to ensure power suppliers for poultry producers.
The association chief executive officer Kevin Lovell indicated that chicken slaughterhouses that processed 13,000 chickens per hour could not rely on generators for sufficient power supplies.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
We have this corrupt PF kaponya GRZ blaming our load shedding on the climate by pointing to the power shortages in SA. but hydro power only accounts for 5 % of SA power generation and that hydro power is generating at full power. By their own admission their current power woes are due to poor managment and poor maintenance and no investments. Zimbabwe is a failed state and power shortages are expected. Stop blaming low rainfall PF, Vic falls is at normal capacity, all its water empties into kariba, then flows to caborabasa in moza which is generating at normal output. Simple reasoning does not point to low rainfall.
The stuff up is that the Chinese put extra turbines in Kariba and thus more water goes out and then the water pressure drops but Cabora Basa has been left as it was and is working fine. now the Chinese want to build a new dam at Batoka this will not work as it will cut the flow to Kariba and there will only be enough water and pressure to operate 5 months of the year plus it will distroy tourism at the Vic Falls and put thousands of Zambians out of work in the Livingstone area. Anything the Chinese do is substandard , they cut corners after all what Chinese products last very long?. as far as they are concerned get the minerals and farm land, they don’t care about Zambia. the biggest dam in China was a flop never worked. what Zambia should do is talk to the Canadians who have the worlds…
biggest Hydro power dams and supply Canada and sell to the Eastern US sea board (Washington and New York and beyond)
Bring them to Zambia to sort out the power problem after all they are our Commonwealth brothers they will help us.
The problem is not with the chinese but with the authorities that allowed them to install these turbines without proper consultation/investigation….
Lobby the govt to remove duty on solar panels instead of complaining as this problem will not go away!!