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Lovemore Zigara, Midlands Correspondent
GWERU-based poultry producer Fairhill Chickens has recorded a steady growth in sales due to increased demand of its products.

Fairhill Chickens produces about 30 000 birds per week and has a huge market share mainly in the Midlands.

Mr Trevor Shaw, the company managing director attributed the increase in sales to a cut in supply by bigger producers and a drop in smuggling.

“Demand has been very good for the better part of the year and this has been made better by the cut in production by the bigger producers of chickens in Zimbabwe following the outbreak of the bird flu virus, which impacted on everybody across the board,” said Mr Shaw.

“The demand has also increased because of the significant reduction in smuggled chickens into the country. In the last three years local producers had carried large stocks, which had seen us suffering as consumers preferred the cheap substandard imports.”

He attributed the low smuggling rate of chickens into the country to the prevailing shortage of foreign currency. Mr Shaw said the rise in sales has resulted in a significant expansion in terms of production, which has seen the company taking on board more farmers on its out-grower scheme.

“This has also created opportunity, so we are taking new contracts on our outgrower scheme and we are trying to expand and meet local demand. When you saturate the market you also get price stability. That is good for the customer, which will come in time and create internal competition,” he added.—@lavuzigara1