05 Sep 2013

Batswana youth who have ventured into the poultry industry have found the going very tough.

Many of them have found it difficult to compete against the more established poultry businesses and to break through into the lucrative retail market.

Many youth ventured into poultry after receiving funding from the Youth Development Fund (YDF). However, after setting up their poultry businesses, they realised that it was not very easy to do business with the more established poultry producers.

However, Mr Samuel Sedimo, a Motswana youth, has refused to give up his dream of running a successful poultry business after receiving funding from government in 2011. His business, Melrose and Real Chickens, first opened its doors in Artesia in 2011. 

“Things have not been as smooth as I initially thought. But I held on until I broke through and made my mark in the industry,” he said. Mr Sedimo said business is doing well despite the usual ups and downs, which he appreciates as a learning curve in entrepreneurship. 

He however called for more intervention to resolve a few problems and pave the way for the youth to invest in the poultry industry. 

Mr Sedimo revealed that he has not been able to break into the retail industry because of the Halaal requirement, which he said is very expensive. “Chicken feeds are also very expensive and they make it very difficult to produce more chickens to sell to the market,” he said.

Mr  Sedimo added that he survives on house-to-house deliveries, company orders and individual purchases. 

The young entrepreneur called on government to regulate the poultry industry so that small and medium enterprises are able to survive. He expressed worry over lack of expertise and skill for the youth who venture into business, which leads to their businesses collapsing. 

“The courses offered to the youth are too short. 

Those who are funded should be trained first so that they can run their businesses professionally,” said Mr Sedimo.

He however said he appreciates the help given by government and vowed to work hard to make sure that his business succeeds. ENDS