By Yero S. Bah
The poultry business in the Gambia is rapidly gathering pace as more and more young Gambian entrepreneurs are getting involved in this venture, in recent years.
To many of the young poultry farmers, it’s a lucrative business with enormous potential of making fortunes in the Gambia without actually migrating to other countries in the continents of Europe, the Americas or Asia.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kusata Poultry Farm in Brusubi, Kombo North, Mr. Yusuf Tunkara, is one of those young entrepreneurs with the aforementioned view on poultry farming.
He started his poultry business with just 500 birds and as of now, he is with over 3000 birds whilst producing over 40 crates of eggs daily.
“Poultry is a lucrative business,” the CEO of Kusata Poultry Farm acknowledged in an exclusive interview with Mansa Banko Online at his farm in Brusubi. Mr. Tunkara dilated on the logic behind the business and the current realities of his agricultural undertaking.
Reasoning why he chose agriculture, CEO Tunkara explained that most of the countries that developed rapidly, had all concentrated on agriculture as the mainstay of their economies. Tunkara, who said he had traveled to many Asian countries within the past 10 years, indicated that all he saw was that those people had given special attention to agriculture, and that consequently, propelled them into rapid unprecedented development. He held that the Gambia could embark on similar development drive, maintaining if the Gambia could also focus on agriculture and other sub-sectors of farming, then the country would register significant transformation in no time.
The poultry farmer further held the level of importation of food items in the Gambia is too high and that Gambians don’t produce even 10% of their consumables. He recommended also that, since it’s an indisputable fact that agriculture is the economic backbone of the Gambia, citizens especially the youths, should invest into it, so as to create more jobs and other opportunities for Gambians. Without that, as Tunkara hinted, Gambians would instead be creating employment opportunities for other nations by importing virtually everything into this country, thereby raising more revenues for foreign producers and exporters.
“Such importations render Gambians jobless,” CEO Tunkara lamented. He has employed six people at his poultry farm since he started the poultry business few years ago, but due to the coronavirus emergency measures, he said only three employees report to work at a time. “We are trying to observe the “social distancing protocols” from the health authorities,” Tunkara stated.
He said the unique thing about poultry is that it is a passion for him, and added that he always wants to render support to people through employment creation for youths.
However, he told this medium that, most Gambians feel that agriculture is a field for the failed (people) in society. “I try to paint agriculture in a good image to escape peoples’ level of discouragement.” The poultry owner intimated that another unique thing about farming is that farmers are able to “eat what they grow” informing his family eats locally-produced chickens which are healthier for human consumption compared to the imported ones.
Tunkara relishes over his poultry business especially whenever he sees his birds growing up, as he elatedly remarked, “I feel happy with my staff in such situations”. He referred to importations of chickens, eggs and dairy products as major challenges faced by Gambian producers, lamenting,
“Everything about poultry in the Gambia is imported from foreign countries such as Senegal.”
While acknowledging that some local farmers produce chicken feeds, the Kusata Poultry Farm boss held that the quality is always compromised since some of the key ingredients are imported too, from other nations. He stressed that businessmen can’t play with their life-birds, because the moment farmers do so, the birds will equally play with the famers, meaning “massive deaths”. Pointing out that 60 to 70% of the chicken feeds are imported into the Gambia, CEO Tunkara however, indicated that if local Gambian farmers are supported to produce at least half of these feeds, they could be able to reduce their current prices of chickens and eggs. Reason: Because it will be easier to access feeds in the Gambia whilst at the same time creating employment for Gambians.
Hear him: “Gambian farmers might not have enough of these products but if government has a policy on that, and wants to do away with importations chickens and eggs, it is possible to achieve it in short time.”
He further opined that if Gambian agricultural investors, especially poultry owners, are offered support by government, most farmers will be forced to expand their businesses, which will eventually create more employment opportunities for locals. As of now, he said farmers do everything such as marketing, production, sales and processing.
On the maintenance of the birds, the Kusata Farm proprietor said they buy antibiotics from designated vets but the cost of such vaccinations is also expensive.
According to him, it costs him D2000 to vaccinate 3000 birds. He dwelled on the importance of the antibiotics on the birds, saying it energizes and protect them from certain ailments. He implored government to provide them with incubators, and to also subsidize the cost of materials such as chicken feeds, incubators, processing and storage facilities. He also wants government help with regards to marketing, admitting that one of his biggest challenges is marketing, particularly in this coronavirus era where government has pegged the cost of most basic food commodities such as eggs at 150 dalasi per crate. “Now supermarkets cannot buy eggs from us because they cannot in turn sell it at that price,” he decried.
He noted that hotels are the great customers while households in the Gambia are the lowest purchasers of local birds or eggs, adding probably it’s because Gambians don’t know the healthiness of their chickens that is why they prefer the cheap imported chickens and eggs. “Government should protect us too,” he re-echoed.
The enthusiastic poultry man lays down his vision for the next two or three years, disclosing his desire to produce at least 100,000,00 birds by expanding his business to other parts of the country, and as a result, employ as many youths as possible. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, his plans are stalled at the moment; and he prays that it’s all over soon and “normal work starts again”.
Mr. Tunkara used the interview to entreat Gambian youths to be self-independent, saying “no one will give us money to build the Gambia”. The Poultry Farm chief added that youths should take their greater population percentage to control the narratives in this country.
He concluded by arguing that poultry is one of fastest ways of making it in life, and that it is a job for the young and energetic.
