Hybrid Poultry Boosts Rural Livelihoods with Zambro-Village Chicken Project
Hybrid Poultry Farm Zambia Limited has launched the Zambro-Village Chicken Project, aiming to empower rural communities through poultry rearing.
At the project launch in Lusaka, Aaron Banda, Hybrid’s chief operating officer (COO), highlighted the initiative’s dual benefit: generating income and improving nutrition.
“We train communities on poultry management, especially in areas with declining poultry numbers,” Banda explained. “This will provide income and a source of protein through affordable Zambro chickens.”
The project initially targets Rufunsa, Nyimba, and Petauke districts. Banda emphasized its scalability, as Hybrid supplies chicks nationwide.
“Small-scale farmers, particularly women and youth, can buy chicks from brooder units and raise them for meat or eggs,” he said. “This not only improves household consumption but also generates income through sales.”
Hybrid has recruited field staff and established brooder units that raise chicks for the first four weeks. “These ‘teen’ birds are then sold to small-scale farmers in affordable quantities,” Banda elaborated. “We’ve recruited 73 brooder units so far, with a target of 200 in the pilot areas.”
The project also aims to establish 1,000 small-scale producers. Over 20,000 chicks have already been distributed across the three districts, with an ambitious goal of exceeding 1 million chicks once the initiative gains traction.
Livestock and Fisheries Minister Makozo Chikote acknowledged the project’s significance. “The African Poultry Multiplication Initiative strengthens the livestock sector through sustainable interventions like this one,” he said. “This launch marks a major step towards improved poultry management, nutrition, and household income in rural areas.”
