According to Micaela SinclairBlack, who is completing her master’s degree in animal production at the University of Pretoria, the driving force behind free-range poultry production operating at a commercial level, is consumers who are willing to pay more for products with perceived high welfare standards.
For many producers, the free-range market may seem appealing. But what are the pros and cons of free-range poultry farming? Micaela shares her insights.
Careful consideration
The two main benefits of free-range farming are the higher value of products and relatively low input costs. In terms of the former, she cautions that producers should not simply assume they will receive a higher price for their free-range products. It is vital, she says, to identify a potential market before establishing a free-range production system.
“If you are not going to capture that additional value in terms of your market, then there will be more negatives than positives,” she says. “A critical component of free-range farming would be to identify your market. The commercial reality in South Africa is that most consumers are very price-driven. Unless you have access to a high-end market where customers are not too bothered by the price, it will be very difficult to achieve higher margins.”
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