Competitiveness of crossbred chicken and its implications for poverty reduction in Eastern Uganda

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the competitiveness of two enterprise chicken regimes (upgraded and indigenous) in Eastern Uganda for poverty reduction in small farm enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – The paper utilizes primary data collected using a structured questionnaire from a randomly selected sample of 108 chicken farmers (54 crossbred and 54 indigenous). Econometric methods are employed to analyze the data. Competitiveness is measured using unit cost ratio while the determinant factors are identified by the use of regression analysis. Findings – The econometric results show that the most critical factors in increasing the competitiveness of the chicken enterprise are: proportion of birds weaned to the total flock, number of chickens reared and farmer's rearing experience. The main conclusion is that in order to increase performance of chicken enterprise and improve income of the rural population, upgrading of indigenous chickens through crossbreeding should be pursued. This approach should put emphasis on improving the management systems which will involve offering an enabling environment for farmers to access credit and markets. Originality/value – Given the importance of poultry rearing in every household in Uganda, the sub‐sector provides a good entry point for poverty alleviation in this part of Uganda. However, limited information on economic analysis exists and hence the value of this study. The paper identifies a number of variables that must be addressed, if the sector is to play its rightful role in poverty reduction.