BUJUMBURA, March 28th (ABP) – Norbert Niyukuri, a young entrepreneur in duck breeding, told ABP in an interview that duck breeding can help reduce youth unemployment and provide an interesting source of income.
According to Niyukuri, the idea of starting a duck-breeding business was born out of the realisation that ducks require less intensive care, are easier to manage and adapt well to different environments. All that’s needed, he says, is to prepare their pens and make water available for them to swim in. After that, they reproduce quickly and their diet can be optimised with local and natural foods, he said.
He added that he bought four ducks as a trial, and that after a year, he was looking for a sales market.
Customers came in droves until he stopped selling for fear that all the ducks would be snapped up, Mr. Niyukuri said.
He insisted that ducks offer significant economic and ecological benefits due to the quality of their products and their beneficial role in the farming environment.
Other benefits include by-products such as eggs and manure from waste. A duck egg can be bought for 3000 BIF, he said, which is a great advantage given that a duck can lay up to 18 eggs.
Duck meat can also be processed into duck pellets, he said, adding that ducks can be supplied to the export market.
Mr. Niyukuri pointed out that he is currently looking for sufficient space to continue his breeding operations, and hopes to raise up to a billion ducks.
He urged other young people to take up income-generating activities such as farming, in order to combat idleness.