Poultry sector value doubles as

Botswana has achieved self-sufficiency in chicken meat and table eggs, with the poultry subsector value increasing from P1.7 billion in 2022 to P3.5 billion in 2025. Responding to a question in Parliament on Tuesday, Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, said the subsector remained pivotal to the agriculture industry and was transitioning toward an export-led, value addition-focused model with significant job creation potential. Dr Dikoloti said the Botswana Livestock Commercialisation Project (BOLCOP) would support 50 000 households, translating to about 200 000 people, through strengthening commodity clusters and facilitating market access.

On parent stock ownership, he said there were four Botswana-owned parent stock chicken rearing businesses, three operating in partnership and one fully citizen-owned. “Broiler hatcheries currently have 310 000 parent stock while layer hatcheries have 12 146 parent stock with hatcheries for broilers and layers having a production capacity of 3 000 000 and 60 000 day old chicks respectively,” he said. Regarding import permits, the minister said five applications were received during the reporting period, three of which were approved and sourced from Zambia.

He said two applications seeking to import from South Africa were declined due to an outbreak of avian influenza in that country, adding that the last importation from South Africa was in 2019. He said citizens were allowed to import fertile eggs subject to meeting biosecurity requirements, including proof of ownership of an incubator and production rearing site. He acknowledged supply constraints of day-old chicks affecting small and medium-scale farmers, stating that 38 890 722 broiler chicks were produced between January and December 2025, with 35 per cent allocated to small-scale producers.

[paywall]

He said the ministry would not hesitate to report any supplier found engaging in anti-competitive practices to the Competition and Consumer Authority. He further revealed that the ministry had, in 2014 established a multi-stakeholder committee called Poultry Liaison Committee (PLC) made up of all the stakeholders including Botswana Poultry Association (BPA), a body that represented the interests of small and medium scale farmers. Member of Parliament for Nkange, Motlhaleemang Moalosi, had sought clarity on the number of Batswana owned businesses in the parent stock chicken rearing industry.

Mr Moalosi had also asked of the number of Batswana who applied for permits to import parent stock, those who were approved, denied and the reason for denial. He called for an investigation into the poultry industry, alleging that dominant, vertically integrated suppliers were using import restrictions and seasonal chick shortages to gatekeep the market. He was also seeking transparency on citizen permit denials and demanding that the Competition and Consumer Authority address such barriers to ensure that local farmers can compete during the lucrative Christmas period.

[/paywall]