International Labour Organization supports women poultry farmers in Ethiopia to access markets 

ETHIOPIA – In alignment with the Ethiopian Government’s push to boost job creation through entrepreneurship, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is empowering women poultry farmers to access markets and improve their livelihoods. 

Through its ProAgro Ethiopia project, the ILO has supported small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the agro-processing sector, with a special emphasis on women-led poultry businesses.

One of the standout initiatives under this project is a partnership with Yegna Farms, a female-owned enterprise that aims to scale up support for inclusive agribusiness models. 

This partnership has enhanced job creation within the poultry value chain and given women poultry farmers greater access to markets.

Thanks to a collaboration between the ILO, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and the Holetta Agricultural Research Center (HARC), 216 women poultry farmers from Holetta and Sendafa have received training and technical support. 

ILRI has also extended advisory support on nutrition-sensitive agriculture to improve the farmers’ production capacity. 

Additionally, Yegna Farms has taken steps to address market challenges by collecting eggs from these farmers, packing them, and distributing them to Addis Ababa markets.

Negotiations are currently underway with larger businesses to establish more stable market opportunities.

However, women poultry growers still face significant challenges, including the high cost of quality feeds, market demand fluctuations, and limited market access.

During a workshop held in Addis Ababa in July 2024, it was agreed that joint efforts by the ILO, ILRI, and HARC would focus on developing low-cost poultry feed alternatives. 

The group also resolved to work on creating direct market linkages with supermarkets to expand sales opportunities for these farmers.

As part of the initiative, a visit was made to Yegna Farm in Bishoftu, where discussions centred on overcoming challenges like high input costs in poultry farming. 

Yegna Farm, which employs four people and manages 5,000 layers, has partnered with the ILO to produce its own feeds, reducing costs and increasing profitability. 

Two feed processing machines have been procured and will soon be installed in Holetta and Sendafa, with technical assistance from ILRI and HARC, further boosting the capacity of local poultry farmers.

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