Yemen’s poultry market has experienced a sharp drop in consumer demand in recent weeks after reports emerged alleging that weak sanitary oversight allows some farmers to use potentially hazardous substances to accelerate broiler growth.

The average price of broiler meat in Yemen fell by nearly 20% within a matter of days as consumers increasingly turned away from poultry products, local publication Al-Mashad Al-Yemeni reported. Several farm owners confirmed that the trend is linked to growing public concerns over the alleged use of hormones and pharmaceutical substances potentially harmful to consumer health.

Wide range of substances

Reports circulating in local media claim that some poultry farmers in Yemen use substances that can cause feather loss in broilers, among other effects. The reports further allege that prolonged consumption of poultry treated with such substances could increase the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

One report, citing an anonymous source in the poultry industry, alleges that some farms use Gribozone, a chemical intended to support the respiratory systems of broilers raised in overcrowded and poorly ventilated houses, as well as Newson, a drug containing Sulfadimidine that may harm kidneys and trigger allergic reactions.

In addition, the source claimed that some producers make widespread use of powerful antibiotics, including Lavicol, Doximis 50 and Medicalin.

Calls for tighter control

The reports urged authorities to strengthen veterinary and sanitary oversight and ensure that poultry products reaching consumers are safe. “Human health must remain a priority above any production or commercial considerations,” one report stated.

However, farmers and local business organisations rejected the allegations, insisting that poultry sold in the country complies with strict quality standards. For example, the Houthi Chamber of Commerce dismissed rumours about the widespread use of hazardous substances in the industry as unfounded.

“Poultry is subject to continuous monitoring by competent authorities. Vaccines and veterinary medicines are used in accordance with approved technical requirements and under the supervision of specialists,” the Chamber of Commerce stated.

Concerns spreading across the region

In the wake of the controversy, reports and public discussions about the potential use of hazardous substances in poultry farming have also emerged in other countries across the region.

Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement stressing that no hormones or growth promoters are used in the country’s poultry industry, seeking to ease public concerns.

Dr Ahmed Rizk, Head of the Services Sector at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the rapid growth of broilers in Egypt is driven not by hormones, but by improvements in feed quality and poultry genetics in recent years.