Rowan Callaghan
WHY did the chicken cross the road? The response in the near future could be “because there were too many chicken slaughterhouses erected nearby”. This could be a reality soon, especially since a new project was launched two weeks ago by the Farmer Foundation to supply rural entrepreneurs with hygienic, portable chicken slaughterhouses.
“We are all familiar with rural families keeping poultry around the yard, harvesting the occasional egg or two and slaughtering the fat hen for family gatherings,” the MEC of Conservation and Agriculture John Mavuso said at the launch. It is perhaps this common scenario which prompted the foundation to introduce Project Dikgogo – Sesotho for chickens.
“People in urban areas need a new supplier of fresh chilled poultry,” Farmer Foundation executive director Clive Nicholson says.
Earlier research by the foundation found that barriers to entry into the industry were high because of capital and equipment costs. Levels of performance of the few large chicken processors also makes entry for the small entrepreneur difficult.
So what is the remedy?
“The process being tested is a relatively low cost (about R100 000 for the complete unit) appropriate technology, poultry abattoir conforming to acceptable hygiene and safety standards,” the foundation says.
The project is available with a comprehensive support programme. According to Nicholson, the complete package will supply prospective buyers with the equipment, technology and training to keep this small business running in hygienic conditions. He envisages that Dikgogo will create opportunities in chicken processing and in rearing and distribution as well.
One difficult aspect of such projects is funding but Nicholson remains optimistic. “Several development organisations as well as commercial banks have agreed to finance the abattoirs once proven successful,” he said.
A question which worries him though is that of ownership. Nicholson feels it is better for an individual or a group of individuals to own the plant instead of a community. He believes that individuals are likely to be more responsible.
“It is expected that in excess of 150 plants could be operational nationally in the medium term. and many more internationally thereafter,” Nicholson predicts. He is ecstatic about the response so far.