The Missing Egg: Why Kadoma’s shelves are empty and what can be done

“We can’t find eggs to buy.”

In Kadoma, Mashonaland West, this statement reflects a broken local food system. Mothers and caregivers struggle to access affordable nutrition, while women smallholder farmers face soaring costs, disease outbreaks, and weak markets. Despite strong production potential, shelves remain empty.

This paradox framed a November 2025 training workshop, funded by Global Affairs Canada through Climate Action Africa, which convened 52 farmers (over 80% women) to address the constraints undermining Kadoma’s egg value chain.

The Triple Threat: Cost, Disease, and Knowledge Gaps

Workshop diagnostics confirmed three core challenges:

• High Feed Costs: Rising input prices erode profits, making poultry a risky investment for women managing tight household budgets.

• Poultry Diseases: Frequent outbreaks wipe out flocks due to limited access to affordable vaccines and veterinary services.

• Fragmented Knowledge & Markets: Isolated producers lack technical skills and reliable routes to fair markets.

The Power of Knowledge

The training shifted from problem diagnosis to practical, women-centered solutions, covering:

• Breed Selection & Husbandry suited to local conditions

• Animal Health & Biosecurity to reduce disease risks

• Enterprise Management, including record-keeping and profitability analysis

• Value Addition to diversify products and increase returns

Results were immediate: participants recorded an average knowledge gain of 1.83 points (5-point scale). Equally important, women strengthened networks and collective action through groups such as the Tashinga Women Action Centre.

The Path Forward: From Scarcity to Resilience

Addressing Kadoma’s egg shortage requires systemic action:

1. Formalize Collectives: Register women’s groups as cooperatives to bulk-buy inputs, access vaccines, and negotiate better prices.

2. Strengthen Input Systems: Reduce feed costs and improve access to quality chicks and vaccines.

3. Scale Gender-Responsive Training: Expand ward-level trainings using visual, Shona-language materials.

4. Build Ethical Market Links: Connect producers to schools, clinics, and retailers via transparent, fair contracts.

Conclusion: A Future Built by Women Farmers

Empty shelves are a symptom of an under-supported system. The November workshop showed that with knowledge, tools, and collective power, women farmers can revive Kadoma’s egg value chain. Investing in women, by tackling costs, disease, and market failures, has tremendous potential to turn scarcity into abundance, one egg at a time.