On June 15, the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture officially announced the signing of a contract with Beijing Huinong Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., China, for the construction of a fully automated poultry hatchery. The project, valued at US$10.15 million, is supported by special funds from the African Development Bank. This project, part of Ethiopia's Poultry Value Chain Development Plan (E-PVDP), aims to address the shortage of domestic poultry chick production capacity and promote the transformation of the livestock industry towards self-sufficiency, marking another significant achievement in Sino-Ethiopian agricultural production capacity cooperation.

Efficient Contract Implementation Commences, Modern Hatchery Built in 12 Months

This project is a multi-functional, modern, fully automated hatchery capable of hatching chicken, turkey, and duck eggs, with an annual production capacity of 63 million one-day-old commercial chicks. The contract specifies that the Chinese side is responsible for the delivery, installation, commissioning, and infrastructure construction of high-end equipment, and will provide a five-year spare parts supply guarantee for long-term operation. Construction commenced within one week of the agreement's effective date, with a total construction period of 12 months. Upon completion, the project will significantly reduce Ethiopia's reliance on imported poultry chicks—by 2025, the country's poultry imports had reached US$3.4 million, highlighting a significant gap in domestic supply.

Driven by Industrial Strategy, Ethiopia Accelerates Poultry Production Upgrade

Ethiopia has implemented its 2022-2031 National Poultry Development Strategy, with a long-term goal of increasing the country's annual chicken production to 106,000 tons. The industry is experiencing strong growth: according to FAO data, the country's chicken production increased from 48,846 tons in 2022 to 61,261 tons in 2024, a 25% increase over two years. With population growth and rising animal protein consumption, the supply of domestic poultry chicks and broiler chickens is insufficient, breeding poultry hatching facilities are outdated, and there is a high dependence on imports, resulting in significant weaknesses in the upstream of the industrial chain. Introducing foreign technology and complete sets of equipment has become the optimal path for industrial upgrading. Keywords: Poultry hatchery, fully automated, African Development Bank, E-PVDP, chicks, agricultural cooperation

Technology Empowers Africa, China and Ethiopia Share the Benefits of Agricultural Cooperation

Beijing Huinong Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., leveraging its advantages in complete livestock equipment and integrated engineering services, has successfully entered the East African market, providing a full-chain output including equipment delivery, construction and installation, and after-sales maintenance. This project, funded by the African Development Bank's multilateral funding, further solidifies the company's reputation and achievements in the African livestock engineering sector. For Ethiopia, the project improves the upstream poultry hatching supply chain, optimizes farmers' access to high-quality breeding materials, effectively saves foreign exchange expenditure, and steadily advances the country's poultry production capacity targets. This cooperation also deeply aligns with the trend of China-Africa agricultural production capacity cooperation, empowering Africa's livestock industry with Chinese technology to achieve a win-win situation. Editor/Sunyaxin