Analysis of Current Status of Poultry Value Chain in Ethiopia: Implication for Information Generation and Exchange: A Review

The objective of this paper was to review the current status of poultry value chain in Ethiopia. According to the recent findings, there are about 59.5 million Chickens in Ethiopia. Out of the total chickens mentioned, 54.1 million (90.85%) are indigenous, 2.6 million (4.39%) are exotic and 2.8 million (4.76%) are hybrids. Scholars explained that poultry production in Ethiopia can be classified in various ways such as small, medium and large with yet poorly developed and traditional poultry value chain. Reports have shown that the poultry value chain distribution approach has been better practiced than the input-output approach mainly under smallholder production system. However: in large scale production system, both the input-output and the poultry value chain distribution approach have been undergone following the dynamics of poultry technologies and involvement of both national and international poultry research institutions (EIAR and ILRI), investments and interventions. Researchers indicated that the flow of information along the poultry value chain (Poultry Value chain Mapping) has not yet thoroughly investigated. Reports have shown that the poultry value chain actors are variable along the different areas of Ethiopia. Some of the poultry value chain actors studied were chicken multiplier and distributors as input supplier, poultry producers(for production purpose),poultry collectors and transporters, poultry wholesalers and retailers, restaurants and cafeterias and consumers (end users) as in the case of North Ethiopia (Adwa areas). Moreover; some of the poultry value chain actors in Southern part of the country were poultry producers, urban assemblers and Village assemblers, Wholesalers and retailers, Brokers, Processors, Supermarkets, Hotels and restaurants and consumers. Scholars have shown that the poultry value chain enabling environment has not yet conducive enough. The tax systems (import of essential inputs) have been indicated to quite challenging. The shortages of Foreign exchange, adequate supply of feed and insufficient knowledge base have additionally been cited as major hindrances of the poultry value chain. Literatures have shown that there has been a chronic shortage of day old chicks and fragmentation of distribution channels in the country. Some of the opportunities of poultry value chain have been mentioned as existence of governmental (MoAL) and non-governmental institutions (ILRI and Commercial companies), higher recent government prioritization and high population size (over 100 million). The poultry value chain is very fragmented and poor .The poultry production taxing system is also inadequate requiring key researches and policy interventions. Therefore, it is appropriate to recommend that there should be a need to develop clear policies and strategies for poultry value chain in Ethiopia through integrated effort of public and private sectors. There should also be capacity building (More practical oriented training) along the entire poultry value chain in the country as a whole. Keywords: Analysis, Poultry, Value chain, Status, Ethiopi