"Frozen" chicken resurfaces in markets

In March 2006, After the Cameroonian government banned the import of chicken from the European Union in March 2006, it is back in the markets nine years later.

At the Mfoundi market, at a shop called 'the queen of cool', commodity prices were displayed: thighs cost FCFA 1995; FCFA 1895 for legs; wings FCFA 2000; and gizzards cost FCFA 1995. The particularity of this cold store is that it offers its customers "frozen" and local chicken.

Out of the four cold stores visited in this market, 'the queen of cool' was the only one where imported chicken was sold. Even though chicken was scarce in this market, it was not the case in Ekounou market. At the 'Poissonnerie de l’Esperance' we noted that the chicken market was booming with chicken thighs sold at FCFA 2000; liver 2300 FCFA while the legs and wings was sold for 1900 CFA francs.

It was later noted at other cold stores like 'Poissonnerie de la cote' and 'Poissonnerie le bon pêcheur' had the same prices with legs sold at 1800 FCFA, 1900F wings, chicken thighs at FCFA 2000, liver and gizzard for FCFA 2200. However, there was no trace of local chicken.

But many housewives have kept the habit of consuming imported chicken. "We eat frozen chicken every Sunday. I do not have time to clean. Moreover,my kids love the chicken legs so I buy the frozen one from the market and to me, it is cheaper," Aurelius, a housewife revealed.

For Octave Leclerc "we consume local chicken at home because the imported chicken has a different taste, it is unsuitable for the body and carries harmful bacteria for health."

According to Citizens Association for the Defence of Collective Interests (ACDIC), laboratory analysis at the Pasteur Institute in Yaounde, revealed that 83.5% of imported chickens sold in the Cameroonian market is unfit for human consumption. They carry salmonella and campylobacter.

For this association, "these chickens come from neighbouring countries, namely Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in this revival of frozen chicken producers and consumers in our markets criminalized it. The reasons were cited by both parties. In poultry, there is the absence of a policy to boost domestic production in broilers, but the incessant shortages and the high cost of provender favours this phenomenon."

Consumer rating for this "disaster" was justified by laziness, easy life, the quantity and especially the search for cheaper things. This is because these products cost between FCFA 1,800 and FCFA 2,500 against at least, 2,800 FCFA for the price of local chicken. All these reasons were made known to shady operators who are the main importers of frozen chicken.

Despite the fierce battle that continues to undertake ACDIC for the total eradication of imported chicken "frozen", operators and consumers still play the game of importation and consumption.