Gabon Seeks Senegal’s Poultry Model to Boost Local Production & Cut Imports

Gabon is seeking technical assistance from Senegal to develop its domestic poultry industry, as Libreville moves towards a planned ban on broiler chicken imports from January 2027. The push for collaboration followed a visit to Dakar by Gabon’s agriculture minister, Pacôme Kossy, where officials from both countries discussed industry structuring, training, and technical support.

Senegalese authorities have offered to share their experience in building a competitive poultry market, stating they are prepared to “co-build a high-performing sector” with Gabon. The offer comes as Gabon accelerates a broader food-sovereignty strategy, aiming to boost local production, create jobs, and reduce its reliance on imports.

Senegal is considered a success story in West Africa, having maintained a ban on imported frozen chicken since 2005, initially implemented during an avian influenza outbreak. The restriction, which extends to poultry meat, eggs, and most live birds, allowed local producers to expand and shielded them from cheaper foreign competition. Over the past two decades, Senegal has developed an integrated value chain encompassing hatcheries, feed production, farming, processing, and distribution.

An inter-professional body was also established in Senegal to coordinate producers, processors, and traders, standardizing practices and improving productivity. International data indicates that Senegal’s chicken meat production has increased more than fivefold since the mid-2000s, with recent private investment supporting large-scale egg and feed operations.

Gabon’s poultry sector is significantly less developed, currently relying heavily on imports to meet domestic demand, with local production covering only a small portion of consumption. To address this gap, the Gabonese government has launched a program to train approximately 40,000 workers across the poultry value chain, including feed manufacturing, processing, and cold-chain logistics.

Officials in Libreville believe the partnership with Senegal will accelerate this transition by providing Gabonese farmers, veterinarians, and agribusiness operators with direct exposure to a functioning regional model. During the Dakar visit, the Gabonese delegation toured farms, training centers, and feed mills to understand the industry’s organization and regulatory framework.

Though, analysts caution that replicating Senegal’s success in Gabon will require substantial investments in feed production, veterinary services, financing, and infrastructure. Production costs are typically higher in Gabon, and domestic markets are smaller. Despite these challenges, Libreville views the partnership as a crucial step towards reducing food imports and strengthening local agriculture.

If the import ban is successfully implemented, it could reshape poultry trade flows in Central Africa and create modern opportunities for regional suppliers of feed, breeding stock, and processing equipment.