STORY: Poultry Farming Gains Popularity in Somalia

DURATION: 4:08
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
RESTRICTIONS: This media asset is free for editorial
broadcast, print, online and radio use. It is not to be sold
on and is restricted for other purposes. All enquiries to
thenewsroom@auunist.org
CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 27/JUNE/2018, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, entrance to the poultry farm in Dayniile District of Mogadishu

2. Med shot, entrance to the poultry farm
3. Wide shot, chicken coops in the farm
4. Med shot, chicken coops in the farm
5. Close up, a chicken coops in the farm
6. Close up, a staff member disinfects his boots before entering the chicken pen
7. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Ahmed Hassan Ali, Co-owner of Somali Poultry Farm.
“The demand for chicken meat and egg is growing and it is a new diet to the city
residents, my customers are beginning to get used to the habit of eating eggs
and chicken. We are selling it to them that it is good for their health and that it
can be produced locally.”

8. Med shot, one of the staff members fills a bucket with chicken feed
9. Wide shot, staff members feed the chicken
10. Med shot, a staff member feeds the chicken
11. Wide shot, chicken feeding
12. Close up, chicken feeding
13. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Bashir Abdilatif Ahmed, Manager at Somali Poultry Farm.
“Orders from our clients have been steadily increasing. Previously, it was a
challenge for the city residents to get chicken meat and eggs. Imported chicken
meat and eggs do not satisfy the demand of the market.”

14. Med shot, a staff member feeds the chicken

15. Wide shot, a staff member feeds the chicken
16. Wide shot, chicken feeding
17. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Ahmed Hassan Ali, Co-owner of Somali Poultry Farm.
“We have achieved some success and we aspire to reach the rest of the country
and satisfy the demand in other regions and eventually export to neighboring
countries.”

18. Close up, a chicken drinks water from one of the water points
19. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Bashir Abdilatif Ahmed, Manager at Somali Poultry Farm.
“I would encourage the people to invest in their country and produce locally. This
will, in turn, develop the country. Our country has untapped resources and
potential.”

20. Close up, some of the laid eggs ready for collection
21. Med shot, a staff member collects the laid eggs from the cages
22. Wide shot, a staff member collects the laid eggs from the cages
23. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Ahmed Hassan Ali, Co-owner of Somali Poultry Farm.
“We have over 100 staff. We have shops that we use to sell the eggs and chicken
meat. We also sell frozen meat.”

24. Wide shot, eggs packed and stored away ready for distribution
25. Close up, eggs packed and stored away ready for distribution
26. Med shot, eggs packed and stored away ready for distribution
27. Wide shot, staff members stack the eggs into vehicles for distribution
28. Close up, staff members stack the eggs into vehicles for distribution
29. Med shot, staff members stack the eggs into vehicles for distribution

Poultry Farming Gains Popularity in Somalia

Mogadishu - For the past four years, Ahmed Hassan Ali has woken up at the crack-
of-dawn, to tend to his flock of chicken, in an expansive farmhouse in Mogadishu’s
Dayniile district.

A typical day at Ahmed’s farm starts with the cleaning of the chicken coops, feeding
the chicks and collecting freshly laid eggs, which are neatly packed into boxes and
delivered to customers across the city.

“Our products need to get to the market on the same day, otherwise they will not
sell. Customers don’t care whether there were transport challenges or not,” explains
Ahmed who uses his fleet of 11 vehicles to deliver the eggs. “We have networks of
restaurants and shops, that buy our products”.

Ahmed started his poultry business in 2014 with modest savings, which he used to
buy 5-thousand layer chicks. He set up the business on a rented a piece of land in the
capital.

Four years later, his business has grown exponentially, providing employment to at
least one-hundred youths. The poultry farm currently rears some 25,000 chicks,
which lay 18,000 eggs on a daily basis, earning the business enough money to
sustain itself.

The 45-year old businessman says he saw an opportunity for a poultry business after
realizing that there was a huge untapped market in Somalia. Despite the poor
infrastructure, fragile security situation, and the preference for red meat by most
Somalis, Ahmed was determined to excel in the business.

“Chicken meat and eggs is a new diet to city residents, although my customers are
beginning to get used to the habit of eating eggs and chicken,” remarks Ahmed, who
also propagates healthier dietary choices.

Like most communities, food is central to Somalia’s culture. And while the Somali
diet is largely meat driven, Ahmed sensitizes his customers on the benefits of eating
lean white meats such as chicken and fish, as a healthy alternative to red meat.

The middle aged farmer has invested heavily in technology and modern equipment
to run his farm. An automated feeding machine, egg collection and manure removal
equipment, is just some of the modern equipment found on his farm.

Ahmed hopes to increase the number of layer chicks from the current 25,000 to
100,000 chicks by the end of 2019, as he explores an expansion strategy beyond
Mogadishu. Other than eggs and chicken, Ahmed is seriously considering venturing
into fish exports.

“We have achieved some success and we aspire to reach the rest of the country and
satisfy the demand in other regions and eventually export to neighboring countries,”
he states.

Widely known for its un-tapped fish resources, Somalia, which suffered over two
decades of war and an insurgency by al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab militants, still
lacks vital infrastructure to support exports of fresh meats.

Ahmed underscores the importance of reviving these essential services to

resuscitate the fishing industry in the Horn of Africa country. “The services were
rendered inactive as a result of the civil war. But, our mission now, is to revive
them.”

With the intervention of the African Union peacekeepers eleven years ago, the
country is on a steady path to full recovery, thanks to the existing peace and
stability, an environment which has supported growth in many sectors.

The African Union is working closely with the Federal Government of Somalia to
ensure a secure environment for businesses to thrive.

END