SWR Ethiopia and KSMA Agro-industry Processing PLC have entered into an agreement to support a project that aims to improve the poultry breed value chain through the use of dual-purpose Koekoek chicken production models in Ada’a woreda, Oromia region. The agreement was signed by Dr Dawit Alemu, Country Representative of SWR Ethiopia, and Colonel Mebratu Arega, head of KSMA Agro-industry and Processing PLC (The Grantee).
This innovative project is expected to improve access and availability of day-old chickens (DOCs) and pullets of the Koekoek chicken breed to the organized youth and women groups, thereby enhancing small-scale commercial Koekoek production in Ada’a woreda.
The Koekoek breed is popular for its egg and meat products. The RAISE-FS project will facilitate the provision of inputs and about 2,000 DOCs from Debrezeit Agricultural Research Center (DZARC) to start the activity. Managing these DOCs is expected to take about 8 weeks, and to start egg-laying is estimated to last about 9-18 weeks. In this period, over 93,000 DOCs are expected to be produced and sold to small and medium-scale poultry producers and farm households.
The project aims to organize more than 12 out-grower schemes (women and/or youth groups), which will be supplied with 45-day-old chickens (pullets) to rear for either egg or meat or both purposes. The organized producer groups will receive about 55,978 DOCs from the farm. These groups will indirectly reach 4,654 smallholder farmers for household consumption and marketing the surplus produce. The activity is expected to create job opportunities directly or indirectly, with these groups expected to create more than 300 jobs for youth and women, enhance pullet supply of the Koekoek breed, improve food and nutrition security, and boost income of small entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, the farm is expected to supply about 37,318 DOCs directly to over 3,732 smallholder farmers in the kebeles around Bishouftu. This is anticipated to increase access to DOCs, improve protein source, contribute to nutrition security of households, increase income, and ensure family labor employment. In total, about 93,312 one-day-old chickens will be produced within the 12-month time.
To meet the set target and reach wider users, KSMA farm will work in close collaboration with Debrezeit agricultural research center, woreda offices of agriculture, youth and women affairs office, bureau of health, NGOs, and supermarkets. The project funding will provide a total amount of ETB 1,173,362.00 ETB for the activities to be performed pursuant to this agreement.
In conclusion, the innovation fund agreement signed between SWR Ethiopia RAISE-FS project and KSMA Agro-industry and Processing PLC is a significant step towards boosting the poultry breed value chain through dual-purpose Koekoek chicken production models in Ada’a woreda, Oromia region. This project is expected to create job opportunities directly or indirectly for youth and women, enhance pullet supply of the Koekoek breed, improve food and nutrition security, and boost income of small entrepreneurs. It is a great initiative that will have a positive impact on the region’s economy and livelihoods of many households.
RAISE-FS 