Assessment Of The Poultry Value Chain Of Commercial Agricultural Development Project In Enugu State

Abstract

The survey was carried out to assess poultry value chain (PVC) of Commercial Agricultural Development Project in Enugu State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study described actors in PVC, ascertained the existence of linkages among actors in PVC, determined actors level of satisfaction with PVC, ascertained perceived benefits, constraints and perceived strategies for improving the PVC. The study was carried out in Enugu State, Nigeria. The population of the study consisted of all the actors (service providers, producers, processors and marketers) in poultry value chain that benefited as a group (CIGs) in ENCADP. Two service providers, 64 producers, two processors and three marketers were used for the study. Chairmen of the CIGs were interviewed. Questionnaire was used in data collection. Percentage, mean score and standard deviation were used for data analysis. Findings of the study revealed that all (100%) service providers provide information on how to use drugs and vaccines, training and advisory services; producers that reared broilers in 2010 was 51% which peaked (55.8%) in 2011 and declined, while 49% of them reared layers in 2010, which declined to 44.2% in 2011 before it peaked (50%) in 2014. The major marketing channels used by the actors include: individual consumers, wholesalers and hotels/restaurants. The study further shows that the service providers, producers, processors and marketers established linkage using face to face channel mobile phone and internet regularly. Strong horizontal linkages (M =6) exist between producers, while very strong horizontal linkages (M =8) exist between processors. Agricultural information shared by the PVC actors were availability of input services, government grant, procurement of credit from banks, meetings/existence of cooperative society and others. Furthermore, service provider, producers, processors and marketers were satisfied with linkage with other actors in the poultry value chain, commitment of project staff to actors, while the benefits of the PVC were enhancing the quality and quantity of products and services delivered, employment creation, increases return to investment and ensures actors access to improved breed of live birds and day old chicks. Actors perceived major constraints to PVC were inadequate power supply, poor understanding of the concept of value chain and poor transportation network, while the major strategies for improving the PVC were trainings on different ICT tools for making linkage, provision of required infrastructure, availability of source of credit and capacity building of actors in value chain. The study recommends the adoption of the value chain approach in private and government intervention projects due to its capacity to enhance agricultural and global competiveness. Achieving competitiveness requires cooperation by actors along the chain as well as within the links in the chain. Effective linkages in agricultural value chain require that actors should belong to social organizations that would enhance information flow and build trust among actors of the same or different link.