In Franceville, the capital of the Haut — Ogooué region in Gabon’s southeastern corner, a young aviculturist named Moussa Mandja is taking strides to bolster the nation’s food sovereignty. Mandja’s venture, Nour Agri, is part of a national strategy to diminish Gabon’s dependence on imported goods by cultivating local chicken meat and eggs. The Agence Gabonaise de Presse has highlighted the initiative, which has already established a pilot poultry farm, a training center, and an experimental hub.
The farm currently produces 175 eggs daily, with aspirations to reach the recommended 75% laying rate. Nour Agri is planning to expand its capacity significantly, aiming for a total of 6,000 birds, including 3,000 laying hens, and a monthly turnover of 3,000 broiler chickens. This expansion is part of a two-phase plan that includes relocating the existing poultry farm to a more spacious location and constructing facilities to support reproduction, as well as local food production.
Mandja has already prepared a business plan to support this growth, with plans to set up new poultry farms in the coming months to gradually increase the farm’s capacity. “Our goal is to reach at least 6,000 birds: 3,000 laying hens and a monthly rotation of 3,000 broiler chickens, “he explains. “We started by mastering the technique, and now we are ready to scale up.”.
However, Mandja acknowledges a significant challenge: the high cost and logistics of animal feed. “The feed is too expensive and difficult to transport, “he laments. “We are calling on authorities to make the industry viable.”.
He emphasizes the importance of supporting the national vision to reduce imports and contribute to the goal of producing all locally consumed chicken meat in Gabon by 2027.
Source: Agpgabon
Original author: Redaction
