Guinea sets five-year poultry recovery plan to cut import dependence
Government targets reduced chicken imports and higher domestic production between 2026 and 2030.
GUINEA – Guinea’s Ministry of Livestock recently held consultations with key poultry industry stakeholders to discuss the design of a national development strategy covering the 2026 to 2030 period.
The draft roadmap is structured around seven strategic areas, including expanding animal feed production capacity, strengthening biosecurity systems, reforming poultry trade regulations, and improving coordination among actors across the entire value chain from input suppliers to distributors.
Authorities said the policy aims to significantly reduce imports of broiler chicken while increasing national capacity for egg production, as the country responds to sustained growth in food demand driven by population and consumption changes.
Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization shows that Guinea’s chicken meat imports increased by 63.25% over five years, rising from 49,735 tons in 2020 to 81,193 tons in 2024, with annual import spending exceeding US$100 million during the period.
Domestic poultry production remained largely stagnant over the same period, averaging 13,806 tons per year and failing to surpass the 15,000 ton mark at any point, according to FAO figures cited in the report.
Stakeholders in the sector have pointed to several structural barriers affecting growth, including limited access to credit and financing, weaknesses in regulatory enforcement, and an underdeveloped market structure that affects competitiveness and distribution efficiency.
Suggested measures to address these challenges include the introduction of tailored financing mechanisms for producers, the establishment of guarantee funds to reduce lending risks, and broader reforms aimed at improving the overall business climate for poultry investment.
Investment pipeline begins to take shape
On March 26, Guinean conglomerate Société Nouvelle de Commerce (Sonoco) announced that it had secured US$20 million in funding from the International Finance Corporation to support a poultry development project implemented through its subsidiary FERMAV Industries.
The planned project is expected to build an integrated poultry system covering feed production, breeding operations, processing facilities, and distribution networks, to strengthen domestic supply and reduce reliance on imported poultry products.
Despite ongoing initiatives, Guinea continues to depend heavily on imports of chicken meat and offal, primarily sourced from the European Union, Brazil, and the United States, according to data compiled on the Trade Map platform.
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