Gabon’s government has set a January 2027 deadline to ban all broiler chicken imports as it pushes to build a self-sufficient poultry sector, bringing together producers, agricultural organizations and financial stakeholders to accelerate implementation.
Stakeholders met on April 10 to review progress on the reform, which the government’s secretary-general described as a process of structuring the national economy.
The sessions, initiated several months ago, aim to strengthen implementation mechanisms for a reform championed by President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
The Gabon Milling and Poultry Company (SMAG), the country’s primary poultry producer, has committed to a 20% increase in output and to securing domestic chick supply, with support from the Ivorian agribusiness group AVOS.
SMAG is also developing a parent stock breeding program to sustain long-term production capacity toward the 120,000-ton annual target.
Agricultural organizations have called for stronger support structures to reach that goal.
The Poultry Interest Group urged the government to establish reliable financing mechanisms for agricultural entrepreneurs.
AGRIVERT (Green Agriculture Association) recommended the introduction of an import tariff by 2027 to protect domestic producers, alongside dedicated support programs for smallholders.
The Gabonese Agricultural Development Company (SOGADA) flagged limited access to credit as a persistent constraint, noting that banks have been slow to recognize agriculture as a viable investment sector.
The government has ordered 12 solar energy kits, procured veterinary inputs and begun constructing poultry houses for selected beneficiaries. An environmental monitoring plan is also under development, according to a media release issued April 10.
