Written by livestocktrainer John Cosmas, collaborating with group members
Shangushangu Group is one of the beneficiary groups supported by the project CROPS4HD. It is located in Narunyu Village, in the Lindi region in Tanzania, and was established in July 2023 for learning and adopting agroecological production techniques. In July 2024, the group started chicken farming. A total of 16 members (8 males and 8 females) engage in crops and poultry production as part of this group, which is now approaching the end of its second production cycle.
To support the establishment of the group, the project CROPS4HD provided an initial investment of 100 chicks, 150kg of feed and vaccines. Thanks to its successful income generation, the group now managed to expand its flock size from 100 to 200, a significant expansion which contributes to the high commitment of group members.
Successes on a group level also include acquiring skills and knowledge on poultry management, such as skills on poultry house construction, knowledge on how to care for the young chicks, as well as knowledge on how to manage feeding and diseases. This in turn contributes to a low mortality rate of chicks.
The absence of antibiotics also minimises the costs of production, and it enables the production of chicken free from antibiotic residues. Producing chickens free from antibiotic residence is also beneficial for the health of consumers. Instead of antibiotics, common diseases are controlled through biosecurity measures and biomedicine such as garlic, ginger, aloe vera, pawpaw and guava leaves. Finally, a successful practice implemented is also the use of chicken excretion as manure for crop farming.
On a community level, five community members have shown interest in establishing similar projects, two of those have already started. As chickens as a source of proteins, the success of such projects also helps to prevent malnutrition in the community. Community members buy the improved breed of cocks from the group and cross them with their local hens to improve the hatched weight and physical appearance of the chicks, as well as the number and size of eggs laid per hen.
The story of the Shangushangu group is one example of successful adoptions of agroecological production techniques, but it also represents the success of other groups with similar kinds of production. A few of those examples from other groups are featured here below:
