Central Poultry (CP) – the country’s leading poultry company in Malawi – has provided chicks, vaccines, feed and technical support to over 150 farmers in an effort to improve poultry production in the country.

The recipients are  part of the first batch of beneficiaries that will receive the support in the coming weeks, according to the company.

CP head of Marketing Mike Makwakwa said the initiative is aimed at empowering local farmers who dream to grow chickens, but lack the necessary items and expertise.

The beneficiaries of the pilot phase of the initiative were drawn from Areas 23, 18, Njewa and Chitedze in Lilongwe.

“The idea is to make them resilient in this sophisticated farming and help the country to meet the demand which we continue failing to meet,” he said, adding that after growing the chickens, the farmers will be at liberty to sell the chickens to CP for slaughtering and packaging or sell them at a market price for them to repay the non-interest loan of the inputs.

Makwakwa said the company will scale up the initiative to more districts across the country where, not only individual farmers, but also vulnerable groups and other community-based groups of similar interest could benefit.

The beneficiaries are identified through traditional leaders and agriculture extension workers.