Developing poultry projects in the Willowmore district are collapsing due to poor support, weak oversight, and unsuitable resources provided by the Provincial Department of Agriculture. This is leading to widespread animal suffering and financial losses for emerging farmers.
In a recent case, eight beneficiaries each received 100 chicks, six bags of feed, and basic water containers. The Department promised to return with infrastructure and support but never did. Up to 80% of the birds died, and some farmers were left with only 25 surviving chickens.
Malnutrition and overcrowding triggered cannibalism.
During a recent project oversight, one farmer said, “The chickens began eating each other. Every time we opened the coop, we found 20 to 30 dead.” Desperate to stop the suffering, farmers sold the surviving underweight birds for as little as R20 to R50 each.
See pics here, here, here and here.
This crisis is not isolated. It echoes similar incidents, such as the recent case at Daybreak Foods near Delmas, where the NSPCA intervened after thousands of hens turned to cannibalism due to neglect.
A pattern is clear. Communities are given chicks without proper feed, housing, or follow-up. The feed provided is often unsuitable, water containers are insufficient, and no technical or emergency support is available after delivery. One farmer said, “The Department disappears after dropping off supplies.”
Training is also inadequate. Farmers report that basic poultry information is repeated, but critical business skills like marketing, budgeting, and record-keeping are ignored. A local farmer stated, “We need help running a business, not just being told how to feed a chick.”
The Willowmore SPCA has identified a lack of oversight as the key reason these projects fail. This mirrors failures in larger initiatives such as the R45 million Warrenton Super Chicken cooperative, which collapsed due to poor planning and no accountability.
Despite these setbacks, communities remain committed. Some have used their money to buy extra feed and build makeshift structures to keep their projects going. But their determination is not enough.
Urgent intervention is needed.
I will write to Agriculture MEC,Nonceba Kontsiwe, to request that the Department review all poultry projects, ensure proper infrastructure and suitable feed are in place before birds are distributed, and provide real business training and accessible support.
Without immediate reform, more animals will suffer, and more developing farmers will be driven out of agriculture. The current system is not working. It must be fixed.