ZIMBABWE’S poultry sector registered a 42% growth during the third quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, after producing an average of 19,5 million day-old-chicks (DoCs), according to Zimbabwe Poultry Association (ZPA) chairman Solomon Zawe. BY MTHANDAZO NYONI However, a quarterly average production of 6,5 million chicks per month was insufficient to meet resurgent demand after government lifted some COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, allowing improved movement of people and resumption of business operations. “The critical shortage of day-old-chicks experienced during (third quarter) Q3 in 2020 due to destocking of breeding stock at the height of the lockdown restrictions have been exacerbated by export restrictions from Zambia and Malawi,” Zawe said in the sector’s latest industry newsletter. “The importion of duty-free hatching eggs from outside the Sadc region has recently been approved by the government but it is expected that the costs of production of DoCs will increase. “High demand for DoCs for the festive season has resulted in shortages and a spike in the prices of DoCs.” On imports, Zawe said statistics showed limited imports of poultry products. “However, the increase in cost of DoCs may incentivise illegal imports of poultry meat towards the festive season,” he said. Zawe said production of broiler DoCs had ranged from lows of 4,1 million in April and May, to 7,3 million in September. During the period under review, chick prices continued to increase. The price increased to $6,651 per 100 chicks in September. Zawe said in June, the number of birds processed by large-scale abattoirs had plummeted to 0,69 million, yielding 1,150 metric tonnes (mt) of meat in June. In the third quarter, an average of 1,25 million birds were processed, producing 2,019mt per month. The ZPA boss said smallholder production averaged 8,304mt per month in the third quarter, being increases of 57% and 50% compared with the second quarter of this year and third quarter last year, respectively. “However, it is believed that many birds destined for large-scale processing were being marketed directly to the public as live birds,” he said. Zawe said total meat produced in the third quarter was estimated to be 10,323mt per month, being an increase of 17% compared with prior year figures. Total meat production for the period January to September was estimated at 8,757mt per month, a decrease of 13% compared with 2019. Third quarter prices increased between 77% and 85% over the second quarter. Zawe said broiler growing and in-production breeding stocks had shown strong recovery following the low attained in March this year of 592 539 birds, increasing by 26% to 746 934 birds in September.