Tanzania launches Sh3.5 trillion strategy to lower poultry feed costs
Tanzania’s National Poultry Development Strategy 2026-2036 targets greater domestic maize and soybean output. The Sh3.5 trillion plan aims to reduce feed’s share of poultry production costs from about 70% to 50%.
A ten-year plan for the poultry supply chain
Tanzania has unveiled a Sh3.5 trillion National Poultry Development Strategy designed to strengthen domestic feed production and reduce a major cost pressure on poultry farmers. The programme covers 2026-2036 and focuses on increasing the country’s output of maize and soybeans, the principal crops identified for supporting local poultry feed supply.
According to eFeedLink, feed currently represents about 70% of poultry production costs in Tanzania. The strategy aims to lower that share to 50%. Reaching the target would change the economics of raising chickens by reducing the weight of feed in farmers’ operating expenses, although the source material does not specify annual production targets, funding stages or a timetable for individual projects.
Maize and soybean output at the centre
The plan links poultry-sector development directly to domestic grain and oilseed availability. Higher maize and soybean production would give feed manufacturers a larger local raw-material base and could improve the reliability of procurement for poultry producers. The effect will depend on whether additional farm output is matched by storage, processing and delivery capacity across the feed supply chain.
For maize and soybean growers, the strategy points to poultry feed as a source of sustained domestic demand over the decade. Feed processors could benefit from a broader supply base, while poultry farms would gain if greater availability translates into lower or more stable input costs. The published information does not state how the Sh3.5 trillion will be divided among crop production, processing facilities, logistics or other poultry-industry needs.
Cost target will shape sector competitiveness
Cutting feed’s cost share by 20 percentage points is the strategy’s clearest performance objective. The target does not necessarily mean that the nominal price of feed will fall by the same proportion: feed’s share can also change when productivity, bird health, energy, labour and other costs move. For producers, the practical test will be the cost of feed per unit of poultry output rather than the percentage alone.
More affordable and dependable feed could support poultry processors through steadier supplies of birds and eggs. It could also give farmers more room to manage other expenses and market-price volatility. However, the available source provides no forecasts for chicken or egg production, consumer prices, imports or exports, so the strategy’s eventual effect on those markets cannot yet be quantified.
Implementation details remain decisive
The 2026-2036 horizon gives Tanzania a decade to connect crop expansion with feed manufacturing and poultry production. Execution will require coordination among growers, grain handlers, soybean processors, feed mills and poultry businesses. Transport and storage will matter because additional harvests must reach processors consistently and in usable condition.
The Sh3.5 trillion commitment signals the scale Tanzania assigns to poultry development, but results will be measured against two concrete outcomes: whether domestic maize and soybean supply expands and whether feed’s share of production costs approaches 50%. Until more detailed investment and production milestones are published, those indicators provide the clearest basis for assessing progress.
