Poultry Futures Forum 2024: SAGCOT CEO Uses Chips Mayai to Highlight Poultry Industry’s Cultural and Economic Significance

Dar es Salaam

At the Poultry Futures Forum 2024 in Dar es Salaam, Geoffrey Kirenga, CEO of SAGCOT Centre, brought a unique perspective to the discussions on poultry farming by using a beloved Tanzanian dish—Chips Mayai, a.k.a Zege—to illustrate the broader cultural and economic significance of the poultry industry in Tanzania.

Kirenga, while addressing the audience, mentioned that Chips Mayai (Egg and Chips), a popular street food made with eggs, symbolizes more than just a simple meal. It represents the everyday importance of poultry products in Tanzanian households and showcases the potential for the poultry sector to contribute to both national pride and economic growth.

“Tanzania has been innovating, even in our food sector. There is a book published in Europe with over 100 potato recipes, one of which is from Tanzania—our famous Chips Mayai!” Kirenga remarked, adding a personal and light-hearted touch to highlight the relevance of eggs in Tanzanian culture.

He stressed that poultry farming plays a vital role in nutrition and food security and in providing income for thousands of families nationwide. Eggs, as a key ingredient in many traditional and popular dishes, underscore the importance of the poultry industry in improving livelihoods.

“The main ingredient in this dish is eggs, which brings us back to the importance of supporting our poultry sector. Poultry farming provides essential nutrition and income for thousands of families. We must continue strengthening this sector through innovation and investment,” Kirenga concluded.

Kirenga’s message is tied to the core themes of the Poultry Futures Forum: innovation, youth empowerment, and sustainable growth. His remarks served as a reminder that the poultry industry is a critical part of Tanzania’s food systems, contributing significantly to employment, nutrition, and economic development. By supporting the sector through targeted investments and innovative approaches, Tanzania can harness the potential of poultry farming to drive national progress.

In Tanzania, chips mayai (a potato and egg omelet) is a popular street food that highlights the importance of the potato value chain in the country. This dish, found throughout the country, from rural areas to cities, underscores the everyday reliance on potatoes as a staple food. Potatoes are a high-return crop and essential for food security in the Southern Highlands, making them one of the key value chains SAGCOT supports to promote smallholder farmers’ wealth creation through better seed varieties and farming practices​.

The poultry value chain, another crucial sector for wealth creation, is similarly important. Poultry farming, especially for chicken and eggs, plays a significant role in rural and urban food security, income generation, and even social obligations like dowry in Tanzania. It supports millions of smallholder farmers, with local breeds preferred for their taste and quality.​. Together, these two value chains are vital pillars in SAGCOT’s strategy to boost economic growth and alleviate poverty through agriculture.