By Elizabeth Swai, Founder & CEO, AKM Glitters Company Limited
In Iringa, a mother named Amina once struggled to feed her children. Today, her small flock of Kuroiler chickens generates enough income to cover school fees, medical bills, and three meals a day. Amina’s story is not unique—it’s a testament to the quiet revolution unfolding across Tanzania’s villages, where poultry farming is unlocking prosperity for hundreds of thousands. At AKM Glitters, we’ve empowered over 300,000 smallholder farmers—mostly women and youth—by providing high-yielding chickens, quality feed, vaccines, and training. Our mission is clear: when rural communities thrive, Africa thrives.
The Power of Poultry
Poultry farming is more than agriculture—it’s an economic engine. The Tanzania Agriculture Master Plan 2050 recognizes poultry, particularly chicken meat and eggs, as one of the four top-priority livestock commodities. The reasoning is clear: poultry production is highly inclusive, relatively low-cost, climate-resilient, and scalable. Today, more Tanzanian households are engaged in poultry farming than in any other livestock value chain—approximately 2.4 million households. This makes poultry a powerful entry point for transforming livelihoods at scale.
Unlike cattle or goats, chickens require less space, consume fewer resources, and emit significantly fewer greenhouse gases. According to the Master Plan, poultry’s feed conversion ratio (FCR) is over 80% lower than that of beef, and its carbon footprint is about 25% that of small ruminants. In a climate-challenged world, this positions poultry farming not only as profitable but also as a model of climate-smart agriculture.
The Economic Case for Poultry Farming
Strategic investment in the poultry sector could dramatically shift Tanzania’s agricultural landscape. The Master Plan projects that with the right interventions, chicken meat production could exceed 465,600 tonnes annually by 2030, while egg production could rise to over 4.2 billion units. These figures are not abstract—they translate into millions of jobs, increased rural incomes, and improved national food security.
To support this growth, the Plan outlines a robust infrastructure agenda. This includes establishing six breeder farms and hatcheries with a combined 860,000 parent stock, six modern feed mills to meet the 500,000-ton annual feed demand, and large-scale broiler production targeting 130 million birds per year. These interventions are designed to reduce reliance on imports, meet domestic demand, and catalyze downstream agribusinesses.
At AKM Glitters, we are already advancing many of these priorities. Our integrated model—which includes breeder farms, hatcheries, feed mills, and farmer training—mirrors the national vision. We’ve seen firsthand how even a modest investment in a few birds can uplift a household. In Dodoma, youth entrepreneurs have built chick-selling businesses. In Mbeya, grandmothers have created stable incomes and improved nutrition for their families.
Nutritional Impact and Market Gaps
Beyond economics, poultry directly addresses Africa’s nutritional crisis. Eggs and chicken are rich in protein and essential micronutrients, which are especially vital for children and pregnant women. Yet, Tanzania’s current per capita chicken consumption stands at just 1.1 kg—far below the 7 kg average in Zimbabwe. Why? Primarily because of the high cost of production, with feed accounting for about 70% of expenses.
Reducing the cost of poultry feed—through increased local production of inputs like maize and soybeans—is critical. Doing so will lower consumer prices and increase access to nutrient-rich foods for low-income households. This is not just a health strategy—it is a poverty reduction strategy.
Overcoming Barriers
Despite its promise, the poultry sector continues to face key challenges: limited veterinary services, insufficient access to quality feed, high production costs, and weak processing infrastructure. The Master Plan proposes targeted solutions including scaling up vaccine production, expanding hatchery networks, and improving feed supply chains.
At AKM Glitters, we are addressing these bottlenecks through an integrated approach. But we cannot do it alone. Public-private partnerships, inclusive policies, and youth-focused interventions are essential to move from isolated success stories to national-scale impact.
A Call to Action
To unlock the full potential of poultry farming, we must act boldly and collectively:
Governments must invest in rural infrastructure—processing facilities, cold chains, and transportation—to reduce post-harvest losses and connect farmers to viable markets. Policies should create incentives for agricultural innovation and private sector engagement.
Financial Institutions should provide affordable credit and insurance products tailored to the realities of smallholder poultry farmers, especially women, who may lack formal collateral but possess entrepreneurial drive.
Private Sector players must adopt inclusive value chains that partner with local agripreneurs, ensuring that opportunities and profits remain embedded within rural communities.
Youth must be encouraged to view agriculture not as a fallback, but as a viable, vibrant career. Poultry farming offers quick returns, scalable models, and an entry into agribusiness.
A Vision for Africa: Amina’s chickens didn’t just change her life—they changed her community. Her success ripples outward, inspiring neighbors, creating jobs, and nourishing families. This is the power of smallholder farmers when given trust, tools, and opportunity. Africa doesn’t need handouts—it needs ecosystems that elevate farmers as businesspeople, not beneficiaries.
At AKM Glitters, we’re building that future, one chick at a time. But we cannot do it alone.
Let’s raise our ambitions as high as our birds can soar. When smallholder farmers win, Africa wins.
Elizabeth Swai is the Founder and CEO of AKM Glitters Company Limited, a Tanzanian enterprise empowering smallholder farmers through sustainable poultry farming.