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Rwanda to Host First Poultry Expo in Africa

by Leonard Nshimiyimana
3:17 pm

The Expo will attract Poultry farmers, experts and manufactures to promote modern practices that aim at increasing poultry production

Rwanda’s market for poultry products is largely untapped and presents massive opportunities to exploit.

In January, the Agriculture Ministry revealed the country imports 300,000 eggs from neighbouring Uganda every week including 150,000 day-old chicks from Holland, Belgium and Uganda every month.

The demand for poultry is high but local production capacity remains significantly low.

For the first time, Rwanda will host an exhibition dedicated to Poultry under the theme “Poultry Africa 2017” to be held in Kigali on 4th-5th October.

The expo will comprise of leadership skills, conference, seminars and exhibition where experts, investors, large and smallholder farmers will exchange knowledge on making financially-viable farming ventures.

“Poultry farmers and stakeholders involved in value chain will explore and benefit from new technologies in poultry farming –layers and broilers and skills on preventing diseases,” said Dr. Bernard Mugabo, one of poultry expo organizers.

Seventy exhibitors from across the world including Netherlands, South Africa, Belgium, UK among others are due to showcase cutting-edge technologies currently used in poultry farming, Dr. Mugabo told KT Press.

Agrotech Company that specialises in farming products business in the country will exhibit animal medicines and farming equipment.

“We expect many people will visit our stand because it will be all about poultry business, “said Dr. Spiridio Niyodusenga, Agrotech technical and marketing manager.

“We will learn from other exhibitors from across the world and will explore new products that we don’t have and bring them on board,” added Dr. Niyodusenga.

Organized by Rwanda Council of Veterinary together with VIV worldwide 2017, the two-day event is entirely dedicated to knowledge and trade will attract 1,500 foreign visitors and thousands of local farmers and farming-related stakeholders.

According to National livestock Census carried out in 2016, poultry population is estimated at 5,238,497 birds while in 2008 birds stood at 2,217,724 birds which represents a steep rise over nearly 10 years.

Currently, Rwanda produces over 16,000 tons of poultry meat and 6,973 tons of eggs per annum as of 2014, according to statistics from Rwanda’s Agriculture Board(RAB).

In the financial year 2015-2016, Rwanda exported 1,045,835 chicken earning the country $ 5,135,277 according to statistics from the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB).