Cameroon: Scarcity of chicken and price inflation hit markets

 

For several months now, house wives, restaurant owners and consumers of varied species of chickenchicken in major urban  cities in la republique due Cameroon have been complaining of severe scarcity and price inflation in markets.

 

These customers in the Mvog Ada market in Yaoundé, feel disappointed with what they are being presented in the market as chicken " it is not chicken which is sold to us nor birds but chicks . Worse of all, at the same price at times even more expensive while evoking fall in supply" Marthe Nguekam, house wife told  Cameroon Concord.

 

 

Producers of chicken on their parts blame the situation on the avian flu virus which hit the sector in 2016 leading to the destruction of millions of poultry birds and eggs. High taxes inflicted on poor formers  and poor government response in the advent of disease outbreaks amongst other issues are the raison d'être of this fall in supply.

 

A chicken farmer, Jean Jeol kenfack who hails from the west region admits that production has taken a serious blow. " Due to high demand provoked by the scarcity, we now sell chickens that have barely 17 to 20 days old rather than the normal 40 to 45 days of breeding reason why you see the chickens are very small in sizes". In the present context, it is difficult to find 45 day old table birds in markets in urban areas.

 

This situation has also crippled business in chicken and eggs  in the CEMAC sub region and Central Africa for Cameroonians. It should be noted that Cameroon constitutes a great chicken market in the sub region and the West region of mr Biya' country farms up to 80% of the product alone.

 

There are also fears that, should in case the Yaoundé Centralized government slomber and does not act fast to avert the situation, it might affect the December Christmas feastive period.