Boosting Growth in Assela's Poultry Sector Through Innovation

The ILO Better Regional Migration Management programme, in collaboration with the Organization for Women in Self-Employment (WISE), concluded a Creative business idea competition for the poultry industry in Assela, Oromia region on 6 December 2024. The program, designed to promote innovation and enhance local economic opportunities, awarded ten outstanding enterprises (6 female) for their forward-thinking solutions in the poultry value chain. These enterprises have committed to driving growth in the sector while contributing to the local economy and creating employment opportunities.

The competition was rooted in addressing key challenges faced by potential migrants, returnees and host communities in the poultry sector, such as limited access to quality inputs, poor infrastructure, and constrained market linkages. By supporting innovative ideas, the BRMM programme intends to empower participants with solutions to enhance productivity, improve livelihoods, and ensure sustainable development within the region.

The winning ideas were selected based on their creativity, feasibility, market potential, and social impact. They spanned a variety of innovations, including enhanced poultry feed solutions, scalable breeding systems, value-added processing techniques, and environmentally friendly farming practices. The selection process adhered to stringent criteria, ensuring that the chosen ideas could contribute significantly to the sector's growth and address systemic constraints identified in the value chain.

The business competition highlighted the importance of supporting local enterprises in a sector with immense economic potential. With poultry production being a prevalent endeavour in the Oromia region, especially among smallholder farmers, the competition amplified the role of innovative practices in unlocking new opportunities for income generation and food security. The focus on returnees and host communities underscored the BRMM programme's commitment to promoting inclusive growth and addressing the unique challenges faced by vulnerable groups.

The awardees not only received financial support but also gained access to tailored business development services and mentorship programs. This included training in areas such as financial planning, marketing strategies, and operational efficiency, using the ILO’s Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) framework. These additional resources ensure the sustainability of innovative ideas and equip entrepreneurs with the skills needed to scale up their businesses effectively.

Through targeted interventions like this, the BRMM program seeks to develop market systems that are both inclusive and sustainable, creating a robust foundation for economic development.

As the awarded enterprises embark on their journeys, their innovative ideas promise to stir up the poultry industry in the region. By addressing long-standing challenges and strengthening collaboration among stakeholders, these initiatives set a precedent for leveraging local creativity to achieve broader development goals.