Speaking at a poultry conference in the capital recently, the executive director of the of the Zimbabwe Women Poultry and Small Livestock Farmers Trust, Teverai Chigogo-Nhapi, said AMA had proposed a processing fee of 5 cents per kilogram of poultry.
“What AMA is proposing is quite discouraging as we are currently fighting viability challenges, chief among them lack of access to formal markets. They are asking too much,” she said.
Edmond Mujeyi, a poultry farmer in Hwedza, said AMA had failed its mandate and should not ‘milk’ the small-scale poultry producers.
“AMA has done very little in terms of its mandate. Most of our challenges are not being dealt with,” he said.
AMA falls under the ministry of agriculture, mechanisation and irrigation development. It recently proposed a statutory instrument known as the AMA Development Regulations. Some of its proposals include registration of all individuals and firms involved in breeding, production, slaughter, processing, importing and exporting.
AMA will be meeting the poultry producers in December to deliberate on the payment of poultry development fees and levies.
Post published in: Agriculture