The Structure of Poultry Production in Benin

Abstract

Poultry production is an important livestock activity in Benin in terms of animal protein supply, diversification of rural household incomes, and food security. The poultry sector in the country has a mixed structure in which low-input traditional production systems coexist with more intensive and commercially oriented production systems. This study aimed to evaluate the current structure of poultry production in Benin in terms of poultry population, production systems, indigenous genetic resources, farm size, feeding, animal health, biosecurity, and socioeconomic characteristics. The study was conducted as a review based on national and international scientific publications, official statistics, and institutional reports. A literature search was performed using Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and PubMed, focusing on studies related to poultry production in Benin, indigenous chickens, commercial broiler and layer production systems, biosecurity, and poultry diseases. Available evidence indicates that poultry production in Benin is largely based on traditional systems involving indigenous chickens. The indigenous chicken population was reported to reach approximately 16.431 million birds in 2023. Traditional systems are particularly important for rural households because of their low investment and input requirements; however, they are constrained by low productivity, inadequate feeding, disease risks, and insufficient biosecurity practices. In contrast, modern commercial poultry production has been developing, particularly in the egg sector, and offers greater production potential, although high feed costs, capital requirements, and disease risks remain important constraints. Indigenous chicken ecotypes in Benin represent valuable genetic resources because of their adaptation to local environmental conditions and resilience under low-input production systems. In conclusion, sustainable development of poultry production in Benin requires the conservation and improvement of indigenous genetic resources, strengthening of producer organizations, efficient utilization of local feed resources, wider implementation of vaccination and biosecurity measures, and development of commercial poultry production infrastructure.