How one woman built a thriving poultry enterprise with structured market support

In Ouedo, within the municipality of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, Kpomalegni Prudencia, a passionate 50-year-old entrepreneur, has turned her love of animal husbandry into a thriving, well-structured poultry business. Through a strategic partnership with Veto Plus, an SME supported by the IFEV (Investing in Women) program, she has transitioned from employee to full-time business owner. 

Before joining the program in 2023, Prudencia managed the Kpomagni farm entirely on her own. She had to shoulder the heavy financial burden of buying feed and day-old chicks on her own. Faced with high-priced suppliers, lower-quality feed, and the chronic instability of the local market (fluctuating prices and orders), her production capacity remained limited to 1,000 chickens per batch. This financial and logistical burden prevented her from fully realizing her entrepreneurial potential. 

Joining the IFEV program through the SME Veto Plus marked a turning point. Veto Plus now supplies the Kpomagni farm with high-quality chicks imported from Belgium, high-performance feed (at a cost advantage of 50 CFA francs per kilogram compared with the former supplier), and necessary veterinary products. Beyond the inputs, Prudencia has benefited from comprehensive capacity building: training in farm financial management and team supervision; a three-day on-site session to train her staff, coupled with regular advice from a Veto Plus technician to ensure quality; and a production advance system in which inputs are deducted only after the final sale to the partner company “La Bonne Viande,” guaranteeing a fixed price and stable orders year-round. 

The impact on Prudencia’s business is both quantitative and structural. Reassured of her business’s viability, she officially resigned from her salaried job in 2025 to devote herself exclusively to developing “Kpomagni Ferme.” With support from the IFEV program for Veto Plus, she has already successfully produced and sold six batches of 1,000 chickens. Even better, her batch capacity has increased from 1,000 to 1,400 chickens, with an optimized minimum weight of 1.4 kg per bird, and she sells at an average price of 1,370 FCFA/kg. Improvements in input quality and technical monitoring have also reduced the loss rate: in a batch of 1,000 chickens, fewer than 10 fail to reach the required weight, bringing the success rate to an exceptional 99%. 

The growth of the Kpomagni farm directly contributes to the local economy and youth employment. In addition, the farm now employs two young professionals full-time. With this financial stability, Prudencia is already planning for the future: a new poultry house is under construction in Tori (in the same municipality of Abomey-Calavi) to house an additional 2,000 chicks, thereby doubling its impact on the community. 

“Previously, I bought feed from another supplier, but the results weren’t what I expected. What’s more, the feed costs 50 CFA francs more per kilogram there than with Veto Plus. In addition to the supplies, I receive advice and support from a technician to ensure quality. Thanks to Veto Plus, the farm now benefits from a fixed price and a steady supply throughout the year, solving our past problems.”