This archive report was first published on 21 August 2021.
On August 21, 2021, Migori County poultry farmers received a boost as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) announced plans to train them on poultry rearing and vaccination.
Speaking at a hotel in Migori town, Mr. Charles Nyaanga, the Director for Livestock Migori County, stated that the workshops would help poultry farmers recover from a difficult year marked by floods and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many poultry farmers lost their livestock during the floods, and the pandemic forced them to abandon the enterprise due to harsh economic times, Nyaanga said.
The FAO, sponsored by the United Nations, aims to support and supplement the income of poultry farmers to improve household income.
The organisation has developed the Farmers Feed School Business Model, which will train technical staff and farmers on practical issues in poultry farming and capacity building.
FAO consultants will conduct a baseline study on the status of poultry in the county, and the training will focus on poultry production from sustenance to commercial levels through value chain addition.
Mr. Valentine Ogongo, Migori County Secretary for Agriculture, highlighted that the training will support the commercialization of the chicken value chain and empower farmers economically.
“Our poultry farmers do poultry farming on a small scale with unstructured markets. The Food and Agriculture Organisation in partnership with the county government and other stakeholders are in top gear to ensure that we commercialize the poultry enterprise to benefit our farmers,” Ogongo stated.
With the help of the County government, Ogongo said that FAO will assist in the improvement of poultry breeds through insemination, which has been a major challenge.
He also noted that the chicken slaughter house commissioned by the county government in Suna West will soon be operational to boost the economic standards of local poultry farmers.
Mr. David Magogo, the Agribusiness Officer for FAO, encouraged the youth, women, and people living with disabilities to form poultry groups to access grants that will improve their livelihood.
