Tanzania's government has unveiled a National Poultry Development Strategy running until 2036, with backing from the Netherlands Embassy to help drive expansion of the sector. The Deputy Netherlands Ambassador to Tanzania, Onno Koopmans, said the embassy would work with the Tanzanian government to address challenges facing farmers including nutrition, equipment, housing, research and innovation. He noted that the poultry sector exhibition had grown from eight to 18 booths in a year, signalling growing momentum. The Netherlands committed to sharing knowledge, technical expertise and identifying investment opportunities to accelerate the value chain in Tanzania's poultry industry.
According to Tanzania's Deputy Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Ng'wasi Damas Kamani, the strategy aims to transform poultry farming from subsistence to commercial production. The sector currently contributes 1.8 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, equivalent to more than 5 trillion Tanzanian shillings, and accounts for 30 to 40 per cent of livestock-sector output. More than four million households, representing 55 per cent of households engaged in agriculture and livestock keeping, currently keep poultry. The government views the sector as vital for food security, nutrition, household incomes, employment and industrial development, particularly for women and young people.
The strategy sets ambitious production targets for 2036. Tanzania aims to raise egg production from 7.1 billion to 17.3 billion annually, increase poultry meat production from 156,000 tonnes to 380,000 tonnes, and boost quality chick production from 104 million to 250 million. The government also plans to lift the sector's contribution to GDP to 3 per cent by 2036. These expansions will require approximately three million tonnes of poultry feed to be produced annually.
Implementing the strategy will require total investment of 3.53 trillion Tanzanian shillings over ten years. According to Ms Kamani, the private sector is expected to contribute 60 per cent of this funding, development partners 25 per cent, and the government 15 per cent. The Secretary General of the Poultry Association of Tanzania, Sufian Kyarua, highlighted that production expenses and animal feed shortages remain significant obstacles, alongside limited access to finance for most farmers. The strategy was officially launched during the Nane Nane Farmers' Exhibition in Dodoma on 1 August.
For savers and borrowers in Tanzania, the strategy offers potential employment and income growth opportunities, though farmers and small businesses will need access to credit and reliable input supplies to benefit from the sector's expansion.