Poultry Production System in Mauritania before the Activities of the “Program to Alleviate Rural Poverty through Support to Subsectors” (ProLPRAF)

The objective of the present study was to display the state of poultry production in fourth (4) regions (Nouakchott, Hodh El Gharbi, Assaba and Guidimaka) covered by ProLPRAF program at the beginning of the program activities in 2011. Data were collected during surveys with different questionnaires addressed to different actors of the poultry sector.

Results from farmers showed that 65.0% were female with average age of 45.3 ± 8.40 years. Production constraints remained the same as those encountered in poultry farming in developing countries. There were no poultry markets in the regions, poultry sellers in Nouakchott were male (100%) with average age of 34.8 ± 5.2 years. Traditional local chicken marketed in the regions came either from Nouakchott region (40%) and others (40%), or imported from neighboring countries (20%). In modern poultry farming, day-old chick was imported from Morocco (85%) or Senegal (15%) as well as production inputs. The price of local chicken ranged from 1385 ± 126 to 2325 ± 275 MU, while broiler chicken was between 1255 ± 60 and 1470 ± 47 MU. Local chicken was for ritual, traditions and practices (75%). Layer’s Eggs were imported from Morocco (55%) or Senegal (45%), and average unit price of one egg was around 43.0 ± 5.0 MU. Poultry meat cooked in the restaurants consisted exclusively of broilers meat (100%).

Poultry farming was facing socio-political constraints that limited its development, but the ProLPRAF program has been able to tackle these constraints and the impact of the program is plausible today.