Smallholder poultry farmers, the majority of whom are women, can migrate from subsistence poultry farming to income-generation with their existing stock of indigenous chickens, a small additional investment, and training. Indigenous poultry production is a relatively low-investment activity that can be undertaken alongside other farming activities.
The biggest challenges to the indigenous poultry sector include expensive poultry feeds, disease control, and access to both day-old-chicks and markets. We can help economic development organizations and NGOs to reduce the barriers presented by these challenges through technical support and training to both their staff and beneficiaries.
We can give technical support on how to organize smallholder women and men farmers into Poultry Producer Business Groups (PPBGs) and to facilitate their investment in rural-based poultry marketing enterprises, providing farmers with access to poultry inputs and technical assistance to improve income-generating opportunities for poultry production. We support the establishment of these profitable farmer-owned enterprises that supply necessary inputs to farmers, in particular by helping farmers to produce low-cost, high quality feed, and provide access to urban markets and financial services.
This approach works on Producer Business Group model premise. It has proven to be a cost-effective and efficient, and an organizationally and economically sustainable model. We promote technical assistance and training on poultry best practices, including the use of smallholder farmers’ existing birds to produce eggs for poultry production.
We strategically design the Program to support the agriculture objectives outlined in the Kenya Government’s Vision 2030, the long-term development plan for the nation. Some of the agriculture objectives in Vision 2030 include strengthening producer organizations, improved delivery of extension services, and increasing productivity through access to inputs and services.
All this is aiming to facilitate stakeholder collaboration, improve sector competitiveness, and increase the income of Kenyan smallholder poultry farmers. We hell complement the state initiatives in new areas and promote broader poultry sector competitiveness. Our approach also aim to support women and families by improving access to income and nutritional foods through agriculture production and marketing.