Corn & Chicken Production - LTLA Update - January 2025

 

New Year Greetings! We are extremely grateful to everyone who made year end contributions to Life to Life Africa. Your support and that of our faithful monthly partners enables us to start another year of ministry among vulnerable people in Zimbabwe, where last year the inflation rate reached 635%, highest in the world. We ask for your continued prayers as we come alongside increasing numbers of hurting people who are struggling to survive with no hope in sight for an improved economy. Thankfully it appears like this year there is hope for a harvest of corn, the staple food. Last year the country experienced a severe drought, but there has been more rain so far this year, though erratic, and some farmers had to replant. With our new drip irrigation system, we have been able to ensure a good harvest of corn at our LTLA Community Center. The three plots for planting are filled with corn, as you can see in the photos below. We estimate that it will supply the corn meal needs for the LTLA Critical Care Center that feeds 30 pre-school orphans along with our team of 20 people for a year, as well as helping feed some of the batches of broiler chickens we are now raising.

From our first batch of 100 broiler chickens, we sold 60 and will use 12 for our ministry needs. We lost 28 but heard that some people lost half of their batches. There was a rush to produce day-old chicks in preparation for Christmas and it is believed that impacted the quality and health of the chickens. Our plan is now to begin with batches of 50 chickens every three weeks to ensure we have a steady supply and then increase the number as our market grows. We have purchased a large freezer where we will store chickens, as butchered and frozen chicken sells at a higher price. Most people purchase live chickens and butcher themselves. LTLA team member Tatenda, shown in the photo below, was our first customer buying two chickens. We sold the chickens for $6 each.

Tatenda holding the two broiler chickens he bought.

Freezer for storing butchered chickens.

Video of the broiler chickens nearing maturity and point of sale. Video Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/ehPoDXyh1q0

Thank you for your prayers for our corn and chicken production along with our ministry efforts among the vulnerable in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. By His grace, Mike Sulc Life to Life Africa