The Poultry Futures Forum 2025 opened in Lusaka, with AGRA calling for a coordinated regional response to strengthen poultry value chains across Southern Africa. To achieve this, AGRA urged governments, producer organizations, and private sector partners to move from fragmented national efforts to a shared regional approach that expands production, lowers feed costs, improves climate resilience, and unlocks private investment while embracing innovation and youth leadership.
The Forum, convened under the Southern Africa Poultry Initiative (SAPI), brings together government representatives from SADC Member States, commercial poultry operators, grain and feed processors, financiers, researchers, and agri-preneurs with the aim of accelerating practical collaboration to address the structural challenges that continue to constrain the growth of the poultry sector.
The Poultry Futures Forum 2025 builds on the progress of the inaugural Poultry Futures Forum held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2024, where countries committed to working together to develop a shared roadmap for poultry sector growth. Since last year, several countries in the region have made notable strides in aligning their national priorities with the shared regional poultry agenda.
In his opening message, AGRA Board Chair, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, noted “Over the past year, we have seen encouraging momentum. Several countries have developed national poultry action plans. Youth entrepreneurs are bringing new digital solutions to production and marketing. Most notably, we have launched the Poultry Feed Accelerator Grand Challenge – a direct response to the number one constraint identified by producers across our region: the high and volatile cost of feed. This initiative invites innovators, researchers and investors to present breakthrough ideas that can lower feed costs while improving quality and sustainability.”
The Forum places youth and women at the center of sector transformation, featuring a Youth Poultry Forum and Innovation Pitch. Guided by this, AGRA will spotlight young entrepreneurs and women-led enterprises that are shaping the future of poultry in Africa. These emerging leaders are developing practical solutions that address challenges in feed innovation, disease control, market access and climate resilience.
Hon. Peter Kapala, Zambia Minister of Fisheries and Livestock noted in his Keynote address: “The government of Zambia has prioritized poultry development under the eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) and the Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme (CATSP), in alignment with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Zambia takes pride in its position as a regional leader, particularly in the export of day-old chicks and specialty birds such as quails. The government is committed to creating an enabling environment to strengthen the domestic and regional poultry market, safeguard local producers, and promote value addition. This commitment includes: inclusive policies that empower smallholder farmers, women, and youth, improved access to quality feed, veterinary services, and climate-smart practices, promotion of affordable technology and digital advisory services.”
Discussions will focus on opportunities to partner with private sector players to expand regional feed manufacturing capacity and strengthen input supply chains. It will also showcase on how countries are testing climate-resilient production and disease management practices to strengthen long-term sector sustainability. These practices include advancing the adoption of improved genetics and animal health solutions that enable climate-smart and disease-resilient production systems, thus aligning with the broader goal of building a competitive and resilient poultry sector in the face of climate stress and animal health risks.
Also speaking during the forum, Southern Africa Poultry Initiative (SAPI) Technical Lead Alexander Stewart noted: “The Poultry Futures Forum high-level discussions and working sessions are focused on aligning policy and regulatory frameworks to improve cross-border trade and market integration across SADC. Through this coordination, the partners aim to help countries draft and refine national poultry action plans that align with regional goals for food security and economic growth.”
The Forum features Deal Rooms where AGRA will be catalyzing partnerships that connect agribusinesses, investors, and development financiers. This platform is designed to accelerate enterprise growth and financing opportunities across the value chain from feed production and processing to packaging and cold chain logistics.
