About ETHIOPEX
Poultry meat and eggs are important animal-source foods globally, and Ethiopia’s poultry sector plays a significant role in household nutrition, income generation, employment, and women’s economic empowerment. Ethiopia has an estimated poultry population of about 57 million birds, with approximately 78.85% consisting of indigenous chickens, while hybrid and exotic breeds make up the remainder. Indigenous poultry is predominantly kept under traditional, low-input village production systems, although intensive and commercial production systems are expanding. Poultry-product consumption remains relatively low, with frequently cited estimates of approximately 57 eggs and 2.85 kg of chicken meat consumed per person annually; however, these figures originate from earlier estimates and should be treated as indicative rather than definitive current figures.
Recognizing the sector’s growth potential, Ethiopia’s National Poultry Development Strategy targets a substantial increase in production, including raising annual egg production from approximately 2.8 billion eggs to about 5.5 billion eggs by 2030 and increasing chicken meat’s contribution to total meat consumption from approximately 5% to 30%. The strategy aims to strengthen food and nutrition security, create employment, improve domestic supply, and develop the sector’s potential for surplus production and exports. Ethiopia has also demonstrated poultry-export activity, including reported exports of live chickens to Somalia, while recent government initiatives and private-sector investment are supporting the expansion and commercialization of poultry production.
