(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon’s poultry sector recorded about CFAF4 billion of losses within one month after the confirmation of the first coronavirus case in the country (on March 6, 2020), according to François Djonou, President of the Cameroon Poultry Interprofession (Ipavic).

"The poultry industry has been seriously impacted by the coronavirus. At the beginning of the confinement, many chicks died, the price of eggs dropped drastically and veterinary drugs were no longer sold ..." he explained in the government daily Cameroon Tribune to detail the concrete origin of the losses suffered by local poultry farmers.

Indeed, a few days after the discovery of the first positive case in the country, the government took restrictive measures such as the closure of restaurants and bars from 6 p.m. and prohibited the organization of ceremonies and other banquets with more than 50 people.

The slowdown in these activities and the suspension of events, where chicken consumption is usually high, have had a significant impact on the entire industry. This negative result started with producers who, to avoid additional costs due to slumps in sales, simply sold their products off.

BRM