Ethiopia signs US$10M deal to expand poultry hatchery capacity | Food Business Middle East & Africa - No. 1 Food & Beverage Formulation, Processing & Packaging Publication
ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture has signed a contract with China-based Agrifam Co. , Ltd. for the construction of a fully automated poultry hatchery valued at US$10 million, according to an. . .
ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture has signed a contract with China-based Agrifam Co. , Ltd. for the construction of a fully automated poultry hatchery valued at US$10 million, according to an announcement made on June 15. The project is being financed through the Ethiopia Poultry Value Chain Development Programme, which is supported by the African Development Bank. The planned facility will incubate eggs from chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other poultry species to produce day-old chicks for distribution to breeders nationwide. Officials said the hatchery will have an annual capacity of 63 million eggs and is expected to strengthen national poultry production by improving access to quality breeding inputs. The scope of the contract includes the supply and installation of equipment, technical testing, commissioning, and construction of related infrastructure, as well as five years of spare parts support. Work is scheduled to begin within a week of the agreement taking effect, with full completion expected within 12 months. Expansion aims to reduce import dependence and raise outputThe investment aligns with Ethiopia’s broader poultry development strategy, which seeks to significantly increase domestic production over the next decade. Under the National Poultry Development Strategy 2022–2031, the government aims to raise annual chicken meat output to 106,000 tonnes in the long term. Production has already shown growth, rising to an estimated 61,261 tonnes in 2024 from 48,846 tonnes in 2022, representing a 25% increase over two years. Despite this progress, Ethiopia continues to rely on imports for part of its poultry supply chain, including chicks. In 2025, the country imported an estimated US$3. 4 million worth of chicks to supplement domestic production needs. Authorities said the new hatchery is intended to reduce this dependency while strengthening efficiency across the poultry value chain and improving access for farmers nationwide. Sign upHEREto receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on ourWhatsApp channelfor updates.