Poultry Association of Zambia Executive Manager, Dominic Chanda, says load-shading has affected consumer behaviour in poultry products, saying customers are no longer buying in bulk due to fear of products going bad.
Mr. Chanda says the reduced buying capacity of consumers has therefore increased the production costs of Poultry Farmers whom he said are now keeping the chickens longer than needed.
“The Chickens now stay longer in the poultries meaning farmers are spending more on feed,” said Mr. Chanda in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka.
He also said drought has affected availability of Maize and Soyabeans on the market hence pushing the prices of feed upwards.
And Mr. Chanda said other factors that have pushed up the prices of poultry include high prices of imported machinery needed in the poultry farming due to the depreciation of the Kwacha.
By Eva Hatontola
