South Africa is facing increased competition from Nigeria as poultry production hub in Africa and the biggest market for eggs. A new report by Rabobank has said that while South Africa would remain the biggest producer on the continent, Zambia, Ethiopia and Rwanda are tipped as the next growth frontiers for investment and production of poultry products in Africa. The report said South Africa’s production was expected to decline in the next few years because of rising competition and the Avian Influenza outbreak which killed more than 10 percent of the country’s laying flock in 2017.

“South Africa to remain the biggest industry, but its share of total African production will fall further in the next decade,” said senior Rabobank analyst Nan-Dirk Mulder. The report said overall the poultry egg industry was growing by 3.9percent a year, with Nigeria predicted to grow between 3percent and 5percent between 2017 and 2027. Recently, the SA Poultry Association (Sapa) said chicken imports mainly from the EU block were bleeding the industry, leading to job losses. Independent Online