The chicken industry in East Africa has been growing steadily with production increasing by more than 3% annually. In Uganda, the average annual production growth rate is estimated at 1.2%. The health of the industry can be attributed to the affordability of the product and its reputation as a healthier source of animal protein. Climate change is having both direct and indirect negative effects on this growing enterprise.
The National Agricultural Research Organisations (NARO), under Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MUZARDI), and in collaboration with Gudie Leisure Farm (GLF), a private company, and the University of Burundi, are implementing the Greening the Chicken Value Chain project, to address the detrimental effects on climate change on chicken production. The project is funded by the Science for Africa (SFA) Foundation under Grand Challenges Africa.
Multi-stakeholders’ coordination platforms (MSCPs) must be strengthened to mitigate the effects of climate change on chicken production. In the Central region of Uganda and Burundi, climate resilient solutions evidence producers, adopters and influencers are being brought together to this end. Target stakeholders were engaged at district and national levels to share knowledge and prioritize climate-resilient solutions for different climate scenarios.
In Uganda, district multi-stakeholders’ meetings were held in June and July 2024 in districts of Masaka, Luwero, and Lwengo, plus the Kampala Metropolitan Area that includes Kampala, Mpigi, Mukono and Wakiso districts. The meetings brought together youth agribusiness owners, extension services, environmentalists and community leaders to co-learn and prioritize possible interventions to boost climate resilience. Subsequently, in November 2024, a national multi-stakeholder coordination engagement was held at MUZARDI in the Mukono district, bringing together youth poultry farmers, feed producers, transporters, marketers, processors, environmentalists, national extension services, policymakers and researchers to discuss strategies for improving the poultry value chain. A similar national multi-stakeholder meeting was held at the University of Burundi in Bujumbura, Burundi in December 2024.
The project’s Principal Investigator, Dr Barbara M. Zawedde, sought to emphasize that while many youths in Uganda and Burundi have invested along the chicken value chain, many are also disappointed by their investment as a feasible source of income and employment. They are facing low output, often caused by the continuously changing climate. She declared that such engagements plus participatory research will support youth seeking to identify and uptake climate resilient innovations.
At the Uganda conference, stakeholders prioritized feed availability, biosecurity, and access to quality breeds. Climate-smart innovations including solar incubators, solar brooders, use of black soldier flies as alternative protein sources, plastics recycling, alternative uses of chicken waste, and digital tools for better coordination were exhibited. Paul Ariko a student at Kyambogo University impressed the audience with his innovations of using plastic waste to make equipment such as egg trays, low-cost drinkers and feeders. Dr. Jackson Mubiru, a lead Scientists at the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre & Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), underscored the importance of clear stakeholders’ mapping and involvement to the future of poultry production in Uganda.
In Burundi, the multi-stakeholders’ meeting prioritized strengthening partnerships and mapping stakeholders across the poultry sector, and addressing challenges including high feed costs, inconsistent supply chains and limited access to veterinary services. Participants emphasized the need for improved coordination between private sector players and policymakers to create an enabling policy and regulatory environment to support a healthy national poultry value chain.
Both Ugandan and Burundian groups agreed that strengthening collaborations by establishing multi-stakeholders’ coordination platforms is essential. Digital tools such as WhatsApp groups have been set up to advance this coordination effort. The success of MSCPs efforts will depend on the involvement of different actors at each stage in the value chain.