• Gabon plans to ban broiler chicken imports from January 1, 2027 to boost local production.

• Senegal has built a self-sufficient poultry sector after banning imports since 2005.

• Gabon still relies heavily on imports, averaging 74,319 tons vs. 4,150 tons of local output (2020–2024).

Gabon aims to leverage Senegal’s expertise to build its still underdeveloped poultry sector. A recent working visit to Dakar by Agriculture Minister Pacôme Kossy enabled Gabon to secure support from the Senegalese government.

“The Senegal intends to support Gabon in its transformation: we will co-build a high-performing sector by capitalizing on our experience,” Senegal’s Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement published on March 20.

This rapprochement with Dakar follows Gabon’s 2025 decision to ban broiler chicken imports starting January 1, 2027, as part of a broader food sovereignty strategy. However, authorities must first establish a productive ecosystem capable of meeting domestic demand in both volume and price.

Senegal stands as one of the few West African countries, alongside Nigeria, that has enforced a strict ban on imports of broiler chickens and frozen poultry products for more than two decades.

The success of the Senegalese model

Senegal introduced its import suspension in 2005 during an avian influenza outbreak that spread across West Africa. Authorities justified the measure by citing the risk of contamination of domestic poultry farms.

The government has maintained this restriction to date, covering live poultry, including day-old chicks (excluding breeder chicks), poultry meat and cuts, as well as eggs and egg products intended for consumption.

Since then, Senegal has expanded its poultry sector across all production segments. The country has strengthened value chain organization, boosted private sector participation, and improved production practices.

Authorities launched a poultry sector expansion plan in 2010 at the request of industry stakeholders to adapt to the new market structure. Subsequently, they established the Interprofession Avicole du Sénégal (IPAS) in 2013 to unite all value chain actors, including breeders, processors, traders, and distributors. The organization implemented a strategic plan to promote the sector, enhance coordination, and improve competitiveness.

According to a 2022 report by the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR), Senegal increased broiler chick production by 40.47% between 2015 and 2019 to reach 51.4 million chicks.

Over the same period, layer chick production rose by 13.48% to 3.4 million units, while poultry feed production (for meat and eggs) increased by 17.62% to reach 328,000 tons.

Data compiled by the FAO show that Senegal has more than quintupled its chicken meat production since 2005, increasing output from 29,042 tons to 159,502 tons in 2024.

However, Gabon still faces significant structural challenges in replicating this model. The country must adapt Senegal’s approach to its own economic realities.

FAO data indicate that Gabon imported an average of 74,319 tons of chicken meat annually between 2020 and 2024, while local production averaged just 4,150 tons over the same period.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum