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Through keeping guinea fowl commercially in captivity, consumers have access to meat and eggs all year round.

By Alfred Sayila, Lusaka, Zambia

In recent years there has been a steady increase in the number of young farmers who have ventured into guinea fowl growing in Botswana. Throughout the arid, desert country their number is estimated at about 580. The rise in this type of poultry has been predominantly noted in rural areas where most of the peasant and small-scale livestock farmers live.

Most of these guinea fowl producers are already involved in other farming activities, notably cattle rearing. This is also the case in the rural district of Ghanzi. Here, most of the youthful cattle farmers have entered into guinea fowl production.

A poultry sector with potential

The Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Animal Production in Botswana believes that guinea fowl farming, although it is still in its infancy in the country, is promising to become an important poultry sector within the coming years. Statistics obtained at the Ministry of Agriculture in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, show that guinea fowl production throughout the country is estimated at about 20,000 breeding stock. This number, however, is expected to rise as more farmers join this parallel poultry sector. Based on this trend, experts estimate that guinea fowl production may reach more than 600,000 birds annually within the next five years.

Government experts in Botswana encourage youthful farmers to venture into guinea fowl growing as a major livestock farming occupation. They also promise financial and logistical support. Here, planners in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Youth and Culture deliberately target young farmers in pilot districts where some form of livestock farming already exists.

Grants for young farmers

“It may take some time, but guinea fowl farming will soon become an important poultry sector and has a bright future in this country,” says Kebabope Laletsang, Director of statistics and planning at the Ministry of Agriculture. She says that efforts are being made to encourage people of all ages, both male and female, to venture into this type of livestock farming. Laletsang highly praised the Department of Youth and Culture for taking the initiative to support young people in the livestock and veterinary rural districts of the country to go into guinea fowl growing. The Department has already provided about 50,000 Botswana Pula (local currency, which is equivalent to about US$7,600) in grants to more than 200 young farmers. It is believed that others will also soon access financial support from the government.

Marketing a bottleneck

The Botswana guinea fowl sector is currently facing the problem of marketing. Neither guinea fowl meat nor eggs are a favourite menu item for the majority of people living in the country and it will take some time before it appeals to

their appetites. Consumption statistics show that out of 100 poultry consumers, only five may be readily inclined to guinea fowl meat and eggs. This is certainly not to say that there is a cultural apathy towards guinea fowl meat and eggs. It is simply a result of the people not being exposed to wildlife meat products due to the country’s tough and punitive laws. “I did not know that marketing of guinea fowl in this country is so difficult,” confessed upcoming young farmer Lynn Camm in Ghanzi. He explained that while guinea fowl meat is in fact a delicacy to many people in the country, most people exercise a lot of caution when buying these products for fear of contravening wildlife laws and risking prosecution. “Most consumers insist on seeing the wildlife permit first before buying any guinea fowl product,” he complained. Though, at the local market price of $4.00 per bird, they sell slightly lower than ordinary chicken.

Many other young farmers also expressed concern over difficulties they face in marketing their guinea fowl. They all agreed that while guinea fowl farming may be lucrative, those who want to venture into it should exercise patience, resilience and foresight before they can think of kick-starting their poultry projects. They have to think about their marketing options.

Governmental support

While marketing continues to be an affront to this type of poultry farming, some guinea fowl growers seek sales outlets in other nearby countries like Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. This initiative is not without difficulties since most of these countries have their own wildlife and huge stocks of domesticated guinea fowl in small household poultry joints. Upcoming guinea fowl farmers have pleaded with various government agencies to help in securing markets in other countries for their products because of the internal limitations.

“We need government support to find markets for our guinea fowl products,” said Hipo Dikgang, a farmer in Jwaneng district. He did not have to wait long for a response. An official at the Ministry of Agriculture advised the young farmers to take advantage of the recently the launched Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD). The multi-million Pula programme presented by President Ian Khama during the opening of the 5th Session of the 9th parliament in Gaborone is meant to provide rural infrastructure and support to rural farmers. It also includes all crop and livestock marketing issues. Pilot projects have already begun in the veterinary districts of Kgalagadi and Ghanzi where there is a good number of guinea fowl growers.

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