Across Zambia a quiet change is happening in kitchens and on farms. When refrigerators fail, families stop buying chicken by the kilo. They buy a handful of pieces for tonight instead. That small shift in shopping habits is echoing through the entire poultry value chain, and not in a good way.
From the market basket to the farm gate: how buying habits have shifted
For years many households relied on buying chicken in bulk, stocking freezers and planning family meals ahead. Now, frequent load shedding has left refrigerators and freezers unable to keep safe temperatures. Consumers who once planned ahead are now buying smaller quantities they can cook the same day. The immediate result is simple: bulk demand has dropped sharply.
Retailers and processing plants that built their operations around predictable, larger orders are seeing demand that is unpredictable and more fragmented. That hurts planning, cash flow and the ability to move product out of cold storage efficiently.
Cold chain breakdown means extra weeks on the farm
With fewer bulk orders, farmers are holding birds longer than intended. In some cases chickens remain on farms for up to 12 extra weeks beyond their optimal market age. That is expensive and risky. Longer on-farm cycles increase feed bills, put pressure on limited housing and raise the chances of disease and reduced meat quality. What began as a household convenience problem has become a production crisis.
Small- and medium-scale farmers feel the pain most. Most do not have reliable backup power, and modern poultry production depends on electricity for incubators, brooding lamps and ventilation. Without these, hatching schedules slip, chicks need more intensive care and production efficiency slides.
Generators are a stopgap that costs more than it solves
Some producers have turned to generators. That keeps lights on for incubators and cold rooms, but it is costly. Rising fuel and maintenance bills eat into already thin margins. For many smaller operators the choice is stark: run a generator and accept lower profits, or cut power and risk losing birds and product quality.
Processing plants and abattoirs are also affected. Maintaining cold storage and hygiene standards is harder when electricity is unreliable. Reduced bulk sales limit throughput and economies of scale, so processing becomes less efficient and less profitable.
Currency pressure, feed shortages and flooding compound the crisis
This problem is not just about electricity. The Poultry Association of Zambia has reported underperformance in recent quarters, and executives pointed to a mix of challenges. A weakening Zambian kwacha makes imported feed components and equipment more expensive because these inputs are priced in foreign currency. Shortages of critical raw materials for feed production, like soya and maize, limit feed mills capacity to supply farmers. At the same time, flooding in key farming areas has damaged infrastructure and crops, reducing available land and adding another layer of uncertainty.
When power cuts combine with currency pressure, higher input costs and weather shocks, the result is a sector that cannot plan or invest. Many producers are hesitating to place new orders for birds because they cannot be confident they will find buyers when those birds reach market weight.
People behind the numbers
Behind every statistic are market stalls and households. A vendor who used to buy a full box of frozen chicken once a week now buys a small bag for the day. A smallholder who depended on predictable hatchery schedules delays placing the next batch. Employees in processing plants face shorter runs and unpredictable shifts. For consumers the change is immediate: higher prices at the counter and less choice on the day they shop. For farmers the change is structural and longer lasting.
What needs to happen next
This crisis calls for coordinated action across several fronts:
- Short term, targeted subsidies or fuel vouchers for critical cold-chain nodes could keep refrigeration running where it matters most.
- Medium term, investment in resilient power solutions for hubs in the cold chain would reduce vulnerability to load shedding. Solar-plus-battery systems at cooperative processing centers and feed mills could be cost effective where grid reliability is poor.
- Policy makers and industry should prioritize local feed security by supporting maize and soya production and easing logistics for raw materials. That reduces the sector’s exposure to currency swings.
- Financial tools that smooth cash flow for small and medium farmers could help them ride out periods of low bulk demand and avoid distress sales or costly generator dependence.
A sector at a crossroads
Zambia’s poultry industry is resilient and people-led. Farmers, processors and traders have adapted to shocks before. But the combined impact of frequent power outages, currency weakening, feed shortages and flooding is testing that resilience in a new way. If the response is only reactive, small producers will continue to be pushed to the margins. If the response is coordinated and practical, the sector can stabilize, protect livelihoods and keep chicken affordable for households.
The immediate changes at the household level are a canary in the coal mine. When consumers choose to buy less because they cannot safely store food, that choice ripples back to farms, processors and the rural economy. The time to act is now, with solutions that protect the cold chain, support feed availability and lower the cost of keeping production on track. Otherwise the drop in bulk buying will become a long-term contraction that costs jobs, squeezes incomes and raises prices for everyone.
Stay updated with the latest farming tips and agriculture industry news from Africa by subscribing to our newsletter. Don’t miss out on valuable insights and updates. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to join our farming community and stay connected with us.
