Africa-Press – Tanzania. POULTRY farmers have been encouraged to sell chicken meat based on the actual weight in order to get the true value of the birds.
The call was made recently by a senior Livestock Researcher at the Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI) Mpwapwa centre in Dodoma region, Mary Magonka during the media tour at the institute.
She said that by selling the chicken based on its actual weight makes farmers enjoy the true market value of their products and guarantee high returns to cover the operation costs.
“Chicken farmers sell one chicken 8,000/- and 10,000/- on average, but the same chicken can be sold for up to 15,000/- if it is sold basing on its actual weight,” he said.
Ms Magonka said in a study carried on 157 chickens, aged twenty weeks found that other body measurements are positive correlated with body weight.
For example the tape measure can be used to measure chicken parts and calculate the exact body weight.
The findings reveal that, body length can be used to calculate weight of cocks and chest circumference can be used to calculate actual weight of hens.
The researcher said that this will help farmers to find a cheaper alternative way for estimating the actual weight of their chicken, rather than the weighing scales, which are too expensive for farmers to have whenever they need it.
“The government should now put in place a system to sell chicken by actual weight so that farmers can stop being exploited by brokers, to encourage chicken farming in the country and generate more income,” she hinted.
Magonka added that Tanzania is estimated to have more than 80 million chickens and could be a significant contribution to the national economy if the farmer has realistic strategies to earn more from their chickens.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Professor Elisante Ole Gabriel has already directed Tanzania Meat Board to come up with a plan for the sale of chicken meat by actual weight.
Speaking with his ministry’s stakeholders recently, Prof Gabriel said that the time has come now for the sale of chicken meat to be done by exact weight(in kilogramme) as is done for the case of cattle, goat and sheep meat.
