High and volatile feed costs are squeezing poultry producers across Africa, but the pressure also presents an opportunity to build a new generation of youth-led agribusinesses, writes the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU)’s Chief Executive Officer, Ishmael Sunga.
Poultry is among the more accessible agricultural enterprises for young people, with relatively short production cycles and strong demand for affordable protein. Sunga explained that rising costs of key feed ingredients such as yellow maize and soya can quickly erode margins, limiting expansion and making it harder for new producers to enter the industry. He said the response should extend beyond poultry production itself. “Africa needs stronger domestic supply chains for maize and soya, supported by aggregation, storage, oilseed processing, feed milling and distribution. These gaps represent commercial opportunities for young entrepreneurs,” said Sunga.
He added, “A targeted programme could help youth-led enterprises enter these markets with access to land, inputs, mechanisation, irrigation, finance, storage, technical support and reliable buyers. Training alone will not create sustainable agricultural businesses. Commercial farmers could provide an important bridge into these markets by becoming anchor partners for youth producer groups. Their machinery, irrigation systems, storage facilities, input networks, production expertise and market relationships can help young producers overcome some of the barriers that make agriculture difficult to finance and scale.”
The model should be commercially structured rather than charitable. Established farmers could support youth outgrowers through input finance, mechanisation, production planning, aggregation and post-harvest services, while helping lenders gain greater visibility over production and repayment. Finance will remain critical. Banks and development finance institutions could use seasonal loans, credit guarantees, risk-sharing facilities and longer repayment periods to make lending more appropriate for agricultural production cycles. Warehouse receipt finance could also allow producers to use stored grain as collateral while reducing pressure to sell immediately after harvest.
He also noted that government incentives should reinforce these commercial relationships by lowering the cost of investment in irrigation, storage, mechanisation, processing and feed manufacturing. Safeguards are equally important. Young producers must retain ownership, receive transparent contracts and payments, and have a clear pathway to building their own assets, credit histories and market relationships. The opportunity extends well beyond maize and soya, with youth businesses able to participate in feed milling, aggregation, oilseed processing, logistics, quality assurance and distribution.
Africa therefore has an opportunity to turn a poultry cost challenge into a broader youth feed economy. With patient finance, commercially grounded partnerships and targeted policy support, the feed crisis can become a catalyst for stronger local supply chains, new businesses and greater youth participation in agriculture.
