Filomena dos Anjos and Robyn Alders

Family poultry plays a key role in rural Mozambique where two thirds of the population lives in absolute poverty. Examples are given of three programmes that promote poverty alleviation and food security through improved production of family poultry: firstly, the control of Newcastle disease in village chickens; secondly the cooperative production of broilers in peri-urban areas of Maputo; and thirdly, activities implemented by the Veterinary Medicine Faculty that include the characterization of local chicken ecotypes.

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Mozambique is located in South East Africa and covers an area of 802,000 square kilometres. In 1999, the population was estimated to be 16 million (52% female and 48% male) with 71% of people living in rural areas (INE 1999). Two thirds of Mozambicans live in absolute poverty, surviving on less than a quarter of a US dollar per day. It is estimated that 72% of the general population is illiterate. Illiteracy is higher among women (85%). (MAP et al. 1999)

Most of the rural population is involved with agriculture. Mixed farming (crop production and livestock raising) is most common. Rural households grow food and cash crops and generally have a small surplus for sale. The species of livestock in the family sector vary from small monogastric species (chickens, ducks, pigeons, guinea pigs, guinea fowl, rabbits, pigs, turkeys and geese), small ruminants (goats and sheep), large monogastrics (donkeys) and large ruminant species (cattle). Approximately 70% of the 3 million rural families in Mozambique raise chickens, around 30% raise goats, 20% ducks and pigs, and only 4% are cattle owners, and rabbit owners comprise 3% (GRM International 2001). Of all the livestock species, chickens are most likely to be cared for and owned by women.

Chickens are possibly the major livestock contributor to the diet in the family sector. They also play a major role in poverty alleviation and food security at the household level. There are no barriers to chicken meat consumption (religious or otherwise; although in some areas the consumption of eggs by women and children is prohibited) and so they are the most common source of protein of animal origin. They constitute an income source, are used for rituals, assist with pest control and supply manure.

Research has revealed that Newcastle disease (ND) is the major constraint to chicken production in rural areas, causing mortalities of 50 to 100% of birds annually (Mavale 1995).

Family poultry development in Mozambique currently focuses on the control of ND in rural areas, the distribution of crossbred chickens and the production of broilers in peri-urban areas of the capital city, Maputo.

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Between 1996 and 2001, the Mozambican National Veterinary Research Institute (INIVE) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), in collaboration with the National Directorate for Livestock and the National Directorate for Rural Extension, implemented a research project in Mozambique on the control of ND in village chickens. The basic objective of ND control in village chickens was to improve food security in and assist with poverty alleviation of rural and peri-urban households. The project involved: laboratory testing of thermostable, live ND vaccines (NDV4-HR and I-2); field testing of these vaccines; the development of appropriate extension material; and attention to cost-recovery and cost minimisation issues.

The use of thermostable ND vaccine was essential due to the difficult conditions in rural Mozambique where the cold chain is often absent or unreliable. The NDV4-HR and I-2 ND vaccines performed well under these adverse conditions (Alders et al. 1999). The NDV4-HR vaccine is a commercial vaccine and requires foreign exchange for its importation. As foreign exchange is not readily available in Mozambique, ACIAR provided the I-2 ND vaccine master seed free of charge to INIVE to enable the local production of a ND vaccine suitable for use in village chickens. However, it became apparent that to make ND control activities sustainable, attention had to be given to social and economic aspects of the work. Linkages with communities were facilitated by collaboration with NGOs such as VETAID, World Vision and Heifer Project International.

The implementation of an effective ND control program in Mozambique has resulted in increased chicken numbers, increased household purchasing power, increased home consumption of chicken products and increased decision-making power for women (Bagnol 2001). Despite the need to control ND in village chickens, it has been difficult to achieve a sustainable control program. Experience has shown that a sustainable ND control program is composed of four essential components: an appropriate vaccine and vaccine technology; effective extension materials and methodologies that target NGO, veterinary and extension staff as well as community vaccinators and farmers; simple evaluation and monitoring systems of both technical and socio-economic indicators; and economic sustainability based on the commercialisation of the vaccine and vaccination services and the marketing of surplus chickens and eggs.

A range of extension material was produced by the project to facilitate access to key information for all those involved with ND control activities (from National Directors to farmers). The material includes a field manual (Alders and Spradbrow 2001), a training manual (Alders et al. 2002), a laboratory manual (Young et al. 2002), a flip chart, a vaccination calendar, a vaccination poster, a vaccination song, radio programs, a play, basic vaccine usage instruction sheets, information for vaccine distributors, a pamphlet and a video. Much of this material has been made available on the internet (http://www.vsap.uq.edu.au/ruralpoultry).

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) is proposing to build on the ND control research conducted in Mozambique by supporting a three year project (expected to commence in June 2002) that will seek to establish sustainable ND control activities in rural areas of Mozambique, Tanzania and possibly Malawi.

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The General Union of Cooperatives in Maputo (UGC) has a total of 5,500 members, 95% of whom are women (UGC 2001). It has been assisting members in the production of broilers in peri-urban areas. In 2001, over 2,000,000 broilers were produced.

Groups wishing to produce broilers initially receive a loan to enable the construction of a poultry house, provision of a water source and equipment (feeders, drinkers, etc). The loan is granted without any collateral and its repayment, including interest, usually takes 6 to 7 years.

After beneficiaries receive basic training in poultry raising techniques and elementary rules of business management, the UGC provides credit in the form of the necessary production inputs (day old chicks, feed, poultry extension and veterinary assistance). At the end of the production cycle (6 weeks), the “commercialisation brigades” collect the broilers and send them to the abattoir or to the live bird market.

All details are recorded and once the birds are sold, the accounts are done. The credit provided for the chicks, etc is repaid and of the gross profit (the difference between sales revenues and production costs), 50% is used to repay the initial loan and the remaining 50% is handed to the producers. In the case of a producer experiencing a loss, UGC will reschedule the loan provided that adequate justification is given.

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The Veterinary Medicine Faculty supports a number of projects that focus on village poultry and peri-urban chicken production. The characterization of local chicken ecotypes is underway as is the development of a breed of laying hens suitable for egg production in peri-urban areas. The Italian Government, through the FAO, is financing a project entitled “Establishment of long term support to the rural village family poultry sector”. The project was developed to support rural families who suffered losses during the floods in 2000. With the assistance of the Veterinary Medicine Faculty and NGOs, the project will distribute village-adapted chickens imported from South Africa (Ovambo, Venda, Naked Neck and Koekoek breeds).

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The authors would like to thank the Mozambican Poultry Working Group, ACIAR, INIVE, the University of Eduardo Mondlane and the University of Queensland for their support.

* Alders, R., dos Anjos, F., Bagnol, B., Fumo, A., Mata, B. and Young, M.  2002.  Controlling Newcastle Disease in Village Chickens: A Training Manual.  ACIAR Monograph No 86. 128pp.  http://www.aciar.gov.au

* Alders, R.G., Fringe, R., Manganhela, A., Mata, B., Spradbrow, P.B., Harun, M., dos Anjos, F. and Travassos Dias, P.  1999.  A Doenca de Newcastle nas Galinhas do Sector Familiar: Manual de Campo.  Instituto Nacional de Investigacao Veterinaria e Centro Australiano para a Investigacao Agraria Internacional, Maputo.

* Alders, R. and Spradbrow, P.  2001.  Controlling Newcastle Disease in Village Chickens: A Field Manual.  ACIAR Monograph No 82,  112pp.  http://www.aciar.gov.au, http://www.vsap.uq.edu.au/ruralpoultry, French version available at http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/lpa/fampo1/fampo.htm

* Bagnol, B.  2001.  The Social Impact of Newcastle Disease Control.  In: Alders, R.G. and Spradbrow, P.B.  ed.  2001.  SADC Planning Workshop on Newcastle Disease Control in Village Chickens.  Proceedings of an International Workshop, Maputo, Mozambique, 6-9 March 2000.  ACIAR Proceedings No 103,  pp. 69-75.

* GRM International.  2001.  Contribution of Livestock to Poverty Alleviation in Mozambique.  Working Paper 1.  Final Report to IFAD, 23 October 2001.

* INE.  1999.  Recenseamento geral da populacao e habitacao, 1997.  Instituto Nacional de Estatistica, Maputo.

* MAP, MPF, MISAU, DPCCN, FEWS, PMA, FAO, MSF/CIS.  1999.  Vulnerability assessment for Mozambique.  Maputo, MAP, MPF, MISAU, DPCCN, FEWS, PMA, FAO, MSF/CIS.

* Mavale, A.P.  1995.  Epidemiology and control of Newcastle disease in rural poultry in Mozambique.  Masters Degree Thesis, Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics Research Unit, Department of Agriculture, University of Reading.

* UGC.  2001.  General Union of Co-operatives Infopage, Maputo.  http://www.ugc.org (updated December 2001).

* Young, M., Alders, R., Grimes, S., Spradbrow, P., Dias, P., da Silva, A. and Lobo, Q.  2002.  Controlling Newcastle Disease in Village Chickens: A Laboratory Manual.  ACIAR Monograph No 87.

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