Poultry Farming Licence in Tanzania: Hatchery Registration, Chick Imports, Feed Mills, Tax and a 10,000-Layer Budget

This guide maps every poultry farming licence and permit for layers, broilers, hatcheries and feed mills, with fees, tax, Zanzibar and a costed 10,000-layer farm.

What the law says

No Tanzanian statute issues a document called a poultry farming licence. The phrase covers a bundle of registrations, permits and certificates, each held by a different authority. Five instruments carry most of the weight on the Mainland.

• The Animal Diseases Act. The Animal Diseases Act, 2003 (Act No. 17 of 2003) is printed as Cap. 156. Its definition of livestock names chicken. Section 38(2) bars hatching eggs for sale as chickens without a licence from the Minister. Section 43 requires permits to move animals or to bring animals and their products into the country.
• The hatchery regulations. The Animal Diseases (Hatcheries and Breeding Flocks) Regulations, 2010, GN No. 155 of 2010, were signed on 25 March 2010 and published on 16 April 2010.
• The feed law. The Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources Act, 2010 (Act No. 13 of 2010), now cited as Cap. 180, controls feed manufacture, import and export. Feed imports and exports run under GN No. 328 of 2021, published on 16 April 2021.
• The food law. Since 1 July 2019 the Standards Act, Cap. 130, administered by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), governs food premises and slaughter. The Finance Act, 2019 inserted the rules on registered slaughter premises (s.21N) and registered food premises (s.26A).
• The meat law. The Meat Industry Act, Cap. 421 R.E. 2023 includes poultry in its definitions of animal and livestock in section 3.

The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (Wizara ya Mifugo na Uvuvi) houses the Director of Veterinary Services and the Director responsible for grazing land and animal feed. The Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA) runs the veterinary laboratories and makes vaccines. Zanzibar has its own livestock law, covered below.

Who should read this

• Layer and broiler farmers selling eggs, live birds or dressed chicken;
• Hatchery and breeder operators producing day-old chicks or hatching eggs;
• Feed millers, importers and dealers;
• Processors and egg packers;
• Investors sizing an integrated poultry chain, who should also read our guide to livestock value-chain investment.

A household flock sits outside most of this. The hatchery rules start at 500 eggs of incubator capacity or 250 breeder birds (GN No. 155 of 2010, reg. 8).

Which approvals does each poultry business need?

Match each activity to its approval before you buy land or birds.

How do you register a hatchery or breeder flock?

Registration under GN No. 155 of 2010 runs in two stages, both handled by the Director of Veterinary Services.

1. Site and design approval. Before building, submit the site plan and design on the First Schedule form (reg. 6).
2. Registration. Apply on the Second Schedule form. The Director inspects the premises against the Fourth Schedule and issues the Third Schedule certificate (reg. 8).

The siting rules are strict. Regulation 7 puts a hatchery at least 1 km from other livestock and poultry buildings and a breeder farm at least 5 km away. Premises need a security fence, restricted-entry signs, foot baths, washable surfaces and a one-way flow for eggs.

The certificate stays in force until it is revoked, cancelled, suspended or surrendered. It cannot be transferred without the Director's consent (reg. 8). The Director may cancel it when a site has not operated for 12 consecutive months (reg. 9).

Registered operators must engage a registered veterinarian and sample flocks on a set schedule (regs 10 and 11). They vaccinate layer chicks against Marek's disease (reg. 21) and keep records for three years (reg. 20). Chick boxes carry the enterprise name and registration number, and plastic boxes are banned (reg. 15).

The regulations mention an application fee receipt but print no amount, and the Zatra fee register has no hatchery line. Ask the Directorate for a written assessment before filing. Ask also whether the certificate under reg. 8 is the Minister's licence that section 38(2) of the Act requires, or a separate step.

Can you import parent stock, hatching eggs or day-old chicks?

Only with an import permit from the Director of Veterinary Services for each consignment (GN No. 155 of 2010, reg. 14; Cap. 156 s.43(b)). Applications run through the Ministry's MIMIS system.

Policy limits go further than the permit rule:

• 2006 poultry ban. The Poultry Site reported on 8 June 2006 that the Minister for Livestock Development announced a total ban on imports of poultry and poultry products to keep avian influenza out.
• 2022 day-old chick ban. The EastAfrican reported that the Ministry would stop issuing import permits for day-old chicks from 30 July 2022, to protect local hatcheries.

Neither report names a Government Notice, and we found no notice lifting either measure. Parent stock is still imported: a Ministry poultry value chain brief says the country lacks breeding programmes. The Ministry's 2025 investment prospectus lists improved breeding stock among inputs free of import duty.

Before paying a foreign supplier, ask the Directorate in writing whether the product and origin are acceptable. Customs charges still apply on entry, including the Railway Development Levy of 2% of customs value (F0309) and the Customs Processing Fee of 0.6% of FOB (F0311).

What rules apply to a feed mill or feed dealer?

Feed falls under the Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources Act, 2010, administered by a Director in the Ministry.

• Premises. Manufacture is allowed only in registered premises (s.22). The Director registers premises that meet manufacturing standards (s.23). A certificate lasts three years and renews on payment of the prescribed fee (s.27).
• Permits and labels. Manufacturing, importing or exporting feed needs a permit (s.21), and packs carry a registered label (ss.30 to 34).
• Imports and exports. GN No. 328 of 2021 requires commercial importers to register, with a certificate due in four working days (regs 5 and 6). Each consignment needs a permit, issued in three days and valid for three months (reg. 7). Feed with growth hormones or antibiotics is on the restricted list.
• Standards. The TBS list of compulsory standards as of October 2025 includes TZS 28:2020/EAS 90:2019, Compounded poultry feeds. Maize bran, fish meal and oilseed cake have their own compulsory standards.

Moving feed between areas needs an animal feeds permit at TZS 5,000 (NEW-07-22). Import and export inspection is charged per tonne in US dollars under the Eighth Schedule to GN No. 328 of 2021. The fee for registering feed premises is not in the fee register, so confirm it with the Directorate.

What do the veterinary services and TVLA do for a poultry farm?

Section 43(a) of the Animal Diseases Act requires a permit to move an animal outside an inspector's area. The Ministry's 2025 guide to moving livestock exempts domestic birds (ndege wafugwao) from the movement permit for rearing elsewhere. A quarantine changes that. Under reg. 13 of GN No. 155 of 2010, the Director quarantines premises exposed to pullorum, fowl typhoid or another notifiable disease, and birds, eggs and litter stay put until it is lifted.

The Daily News reported on 8 September 2026 that TVLA makes vaccines for diseases including Newcastle disease and sells them through agrovet outlets nationwide.

Veterinarians register under the Veterinary Act, 2003, and a hatchery must engage one under reg. 10.

Which TBS rules apply to eggs and chicken meat?

TBS regulates food on the Mainland. Section 26A of the Standards Act requires premises that manufacture food for sale, or sell, supply or store it, to be registered. Section 21A requires prepackaged food to be registered before it is sold.

Loose trays of eggs sold to traders are primary produce; branded egg packs and frozen chicken are prepackaged food. Our guides to TBS certification and food business licensing explain the process. TBS charges are assessed on filing (F0365).

Slaughter has its own rules. Section 21N bars the slaughter of animals for human consumption on premises TBS has not registered. Section 21P requires a TBS-approved vehicle to carry meat from a slaughter facility or cold store.

TBS circulated a draft Dressed poultry: Specification through the WTO in 2018. Table eggs and poultry meat were not on the October 2025 compulsory list, so check the TBS catalogue.

The Meat Board is the last layer. Its registration page charges livestock farms TZS 42,500, 95,000 or 170,000 by size (NEW-07-23). It gives no bird thresholds, and certificates run from July to June. The Netherlands Embassy's 2021 investment guide for poultry lists Meat Board registration for commercial broiler and layer farms. See our Meat Board registration guide.

Does a poultry farm need a business licence?

Not for the farm itself. Section 3 of the Business Licensing Act, Cap. 101 R.E. 2023 excludes farming, livestock keeping and the sale of a farmer's own produce not materially processed (NEW-08-16). The exclusion stops where processing and trade begin.

Ownership matters. GN No. 487A of 2025 closes retail sale of goods and micro and small industries to non-citizens (NEW-08-14, items 1 and 15). A foreign-owned feed mill or processing plant must therefore be medium or large scale. Farming is not on the reserved list. Each licence runs 12 months and every renewal needs a TRA tax clearance (NEW-08-02). Our business licensing service files both classes.

When does a poultry farm need NEMC registration, an EIA or OSHA?

NEMC charges annual fees under GN No. 387 of 2021. Poultry units of 7,500 birds or more pay TZS 250,000 a year, and hatcheries TZS 500,000 (NEW-05-06).

The EIA category is less clear. The First Schedule of the EIA and Audit (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, GN No. 474 of 2018 grades intensive livestock rearing by herd size:

• Type A, full EIA: 1,000 head or more;
• Type B1, screening decides: 500 to 1,000 head, and slaughterhouses killing more than 10 animals a day;
• Type B2, project brief without an EIA: 100 to 500 head.

The Schedule does not name poultry or hatcheries. The 2024 amendment, GN No. 957 of 2024, added climate assessment and a Type C category but no poultry line. NEMC fixes the category on registration, so budget at least for a project brief by a registered expert. Our guide on when an EIA is required explains the screening.

OSHA registration of the workplace has cost nothing since 1 July 2018 (NEW-04-40). The annual inspection fee for agriculture is TZS 40,000, 120,000, 240,000 or 360,000 for micro, small, medium and large workplaces (F0442). See which workplaces OSHA registers.

Land comes first in practice, and council zoning decides whether poultry houses may stand near homes. Foreign investors hold land through derivative rights, as our guide to derivative rights and investor leases explains. Stamp duty on a conveyance of agricultural land is 0.5% of value from 1 July 2026 (F0263).

How are eggs and chickens taxed?

The VAT Act Schedule, Part I, in the TanzLII consolidation lists the poultry lines below. The VAT Act, Cap. 148 R.E. 2023 adds a relief for poultry housing in section 6.

An exempt sale carries no output VAT, but the farm cannot reclaim the VAT it pays on equipment, fuel and services. A farm selling only exempt produce has no taxable turnover to count towards the TZS 200 million registration threshold (F0242).

For income tax, section 15 of the Income Tax Act, Cap. 332 allows a deduction for agricultural improvement expenditure by an owner or occupier running a livestock farming business. Agriculture is excluded from the alternative minimum tax on perpetual losses (F0198).

Companies pay corporate tax at 30% (F0196) and the council service levy of 0.25% of turnover (F0283). Section 17(7) of the Local Government Finance Act, Cap. 290 frees companies that pay the levy from produce cess. Our guides to the service levy and produce cess explain both.

What happens if you operate without the permits?

Inspectors can also seize or condemn a feed consignment (GN No. 328 of 2021, regs 18 and 19). If birds, feed or a vehicle are seized, or premises are closed, speak to an advocate before you sign any statement.

How does Zanzibar differ from the Mainland?

Livestock is not a Union matter. The Animal Diseases Act, GN No. 155 of 2010 and the feed Act do not run in Unguja or Pemba.

The Zanzibar Animal Resource Management Act, 1999 includes poultry in its definition of stock. Section 35 lets the Minister restrict imports of eggs and carcasses by Gazette notice. Zanzibar banned poultry imports in 2005 and said in 2007 that the ban would stay; we could not confirm its current status. Our guides to ZFDA and Zanzibar VAT cover the islands' food and tax files.

Worked example: a 10,000-layer farm in Kibaha

This example is hypothetical. A Tanzanian-owned company keeps 10,000 layers in Kibaha District, Pwani. It buys point-of-lay pullets from a registered hatchery, employs 12 staff and sells eggs in trays, with no slaughter or branding. It already holds its company certificate, TIN and land.

The revenue line uses illustrative figures. An average lay rate of 75% gives 7,500 eggs a day, or 250 trays of 30. Over 365 days that is 91,250 trays. At an assumed farm-gate price of TZS 9,000 a tray, egg revenue is TZS 821,250,000 a year.

Priced government charges come to about 0.31% of egg revenue. Income tax on profit at 30% (F0196) and payroll charges sit outside the table. Egg sales are VAT-exempt, so the farm charges no VAT and reclaims none.

Adding a hatchery brings the TZS 500,000 NEMC hatchery fee (NEW-05-06), Directorate registration and a veterinarian. A feed mill adds premises registration, TBS certification and a licence.

All of these charges are paid by the client to each authority at the official rate against its control number. They are separate from Zatra's professional fee, which is quoted in writing after scoping. Our note on professional fees and government fees explains the split.

What to do now

1. List the activities. Separate farming, hatching, breeding, feed milling, slaughter, packing, import and export, because each has its own approval.
2. Secure the site. Confirm the land title or lease, council zoning and the 1 km or 5 km hatchery distances before you build.
3. Register with NEMC. File the project for screening and pay the annual fee from 7,500 birds.
4. Apply to the Directorate. Submit hatchery or breeder site plans first, then the registration form, and engage a registered veterinarian.
5. Clear imports in writing. Ask the Director of Veterinary Services whether your parent stock or hatching eggs can enter before you pay the supplier.
6. Register feed premises. Register the mill with the feed Directorate and certify feeds against TZS 28:2020 with TBS.
7. Take the right licences. Apply for Class A or Class B licences for milling or processing, and register the workplace with OSHA.
8. Set the calendar. Diarise the Meat Board year ending 30 June, NEMC and OSHA anniversaries and the three-year feed certificate.
9. Call an advocate on seizure. Get advice before signing any statement after a seizure, quarantine order or prosecution.

Key dates

How Zatra helps

Zatra's sector permits service maps each poultry activity to its approval, prepares the Directorate, feed, NEMC and Meat Board files and sequences the inspections. The import and export compliance team builds the file for parent stock, feed and equipment imports. Sector context sits on our agriculture and trade page, and the government fees handbook lists the official figures.

Government charges are paid by the client to each authority at the official rate against its control number. They are kept separate from Zatra's professional fee.

The Director of Veterinary Services, the feed Directorate, TBS, NEMC, OSHA, the Meat Board, BRELA, the councils and the Zanzibar authorities decide every registration and permit. Zatra prepares and coordinates the file; it does not decide or guarantee any authority's outcome. Prosecutions, seizures, compounding, disputes with an authority or a buyer, and formal legal opinions go to Zatra's advocate.

Sources and status

Accurate as at 27 October 2026. Settled: the hatchery regime, the feed Act, the TBS premises rules, the farming licence exclusion and the VAT exemptions. Verify: the import bans, the Meat Board category, the EIA category and the 2026 VAT Schedule. Unknown: the hatchery and feed premises fees and Zanzibar's hatchery rules.

• Animal Diseases Act, 2003 and Cap. 156 print: FAOLEX, 2003 and 2021 print. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
• GN No. 155 of 2010: TanzLII, published 16 Apr 2010. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
• Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources Act, 2010: FAOLEX, 2010. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
• GN No. 328 of 2021: Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, published 16 Apr 2021. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
• VAT Act Schedule: TanzLII consolidation to 30 Nov 2019; Cap. 148 R.E. 2023: TRAB. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
• Meat Industry Act, Cap. 421 R.E. 2023: Office of the Attorney General, 2023. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
• GN No. 474 of 2018: NEMC, 31 Aug 2018; GN No. 957 of 2024: OAG, 29 Nov 2024. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
• Finance Act, 2019; TBS list, Oct 2025; Meat Board page, 2026; Ministry guides, 2025; Zanzibar Act No. 11 of 1999; press reports of 2006, 2022 and 2026: linked in the text. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.

Figures to confirm before you act

• Hatchery and breeder registration fee: GN No. 155 of 2010 prints none and the fee register has no line; ask the Directorate
• Feed premises registration fee: prescribed under s.27 of the feed Act but not found; confirm with the feed Directorate
• Import bans: whether the 2006 poultry ban and the 2022 day-old chick ban still apply to your product and origin
• Meat Board category: whether a poultry farm registers and in which size band (NEW-07-23)
• EIA category: how NEMC grades a poultry unit when the Schedule counts herd
• VAT Schedule: the poultry items as amended by the Finance Acts 2020 to 2026
• Worked example inputs: 75% lay rate, TZS 9,000 a tray and 12 feed permits are assumptions
• Fire certificate: levy class for poultry houses (NEW-05-07)
• Register lines cited: NEW-08-16, NEW-05-06, NEW-07-23, NEW-04-40, F0442, NEW-07-22, F0283, F0196, F0198, F0239, F0242, F0246, F0263, F0309, F0311, F0365, BLB137, BLA102, BLA103, F0110, F0882, NEW-08-02, NEW-08-14 and NEW-05-07 at 26 September 2026; the control number governs on payment

This article is general information based on official sources available at the date of publication. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws and notices change. Verify with the issuing authority or consult Zatra before acting.