New grant to support Tanzania's poultry industry

Tanzania's poultry industry is expected to benefit from a 21.4-million-U.S.-dollar grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aimed at enhancing poultry production.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the World Poultry Foundation (WPF), the grant is to benefit two African countries: Tanzania and Nigeria.

Working closely with the government and in-country private sector partners, the WPF said it would lead a project that will catalyse a transformation of rural poultry production in the two countries.

"This initiative will increase poultry production and productivity through the access of low-input dual purpose birds, increase rural household income, improve household nutrition and empower women," said Randall Ennis, CEO of WPF.

"This grant provides us with an opportunity to implement a strategy that creates access of improved genetics to the rural farmers, provides technical assistance and training, and offers access to markets that may not have been possible before," Ennis said.

He added that the goal is to impact 2.5 million households across Tanzania and Nigeria by the end of the four-year initiative, which also involves establishment of over 1,500 enterprises primarily owned and managed by women. Endit