Ugandan youths have been urged to seize the growing opportunities in the poultry sector as the country joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Egg Day 2025.
The call was made during the ongoing World Egg Day Expo at Old Kampala Secondary Schoolthat drew hundreds of young people, farmers, investors, and poultry value chain stakeholders.
The State Minister for Animal Industry, Bright Rwamirama who was the chief guest, emphasized the unlimited potential that lies within the poultry industry, particularly for young entrepreneurs.
“Each egg represents income for a farmer, nutrition for families, and innovation for the youth. I encourage the youth to take advantage of the growing opportunities in agribusiness, particularly in the poultry industry, processing, and marketing,” he said.
Rwamirama noted that poultry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in Uganda’s livestock industry, with over 5.2 million households rearing poultry as of 2021, marking a 54.7% increase from 2008.
He further stressed the nutritional value of eggs, calling them “one of nature’s most complete and affordable sources of nutrition.”
“If you give an egg to a child, that child will get ten times the nutritional value they would need from a plate of beans. An egg is affordable and accessible to every family,” Rwamirama added.
The minister also revealed that the government has fast-tracked the Animal Feeds Law to protect consumers and improve standards across the value chain, noting that modern poultry presents vast potential for job creation.
“Most of our youth are employed in this poultry industry. What you see every evening in trading centers—those roadside grills selling poultry products—that is employment created by this sector,” he told participants.
Henry Mambwe, Chairman the Poultry Association of Uganda, echoed the minister’s message and called for collective action to make poultry products more affordable and profitable for farmers, especially young people.
“This expo is not just an exhibition; it is a platform for collaboration and innovation. Our mission is to make poultry products more nutritious, more affordable, and more accessible to every Ugandan household,” Mambwe said.
He highlighted the untapped market potential, pointing out that Uganda’s chicken consumption remains extremely low compared to other African countries.
“In South Africa, people consume 40 to 50 kilograms of chicken per person per year. Uganda is at just 1.6 kilograms. That shows massive room for growth, especially for our youth,” he noted.
The expo featured live demonstrations on modern breeding techniques, feed formulation, disease management, and value addition, with companies exhibiting improved poultry breeds, feeds, vaccines, digital farm tools, and agritech solutions targeted at young farmers.
Organizers say the goal is to empower youth with practical skills and link them to market opportunities, financial services, and technology needed to scale poultry enterprises.