Reduce Poultry Feed Prices, Farmers Urge The Government

Poultry farmers are urging the Government to reduce the high cost of poultry feeds that are hurting their businesses.

Currently, a 50 kilo of dairy meal goes for Sh2,800, up from Sh2,000 in December last year.

While chick mash has increased from Sh3,900 to ShSh4,600 during the period, the layer now sells at Sh3,900 from Sh2,800.

The Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA) attributes the rise to high prices of maize with a 90-kilo bag now retailing at Sh5,500, up from Sh3,500 a year ago amid supply chain impact.

“The government is very slow to respond to this livestock feed crisis,” AKEFEMA Secretariat and a Board Member of Federation of Kenya Poultry Farmers Association Humphrey Mbugua.

“This crisis has been brought by the high cost of maize and other ingredients of making animal feeds,” Mbugua said, asking Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Franklin Linturi to stabilize the prices.

Rising cost of production has in turn forced farmers to hike chicken meat prices.

“Chicken has become as expensive as beef. Chicken, which was incredibly cheap and great value for money, is rising quicker than any other protein.”

Prices of animal feeds have been on an upward trajectory over the last one-year exacerbated by the ongoing Ukraine-Russia where crucial byproducts for making feeds such as soya, sunflower meal (a byproduct of sunflower oil) and wheat are imported from.

As a result, cost of production has increased by 65 percent with profit dropping by half over the last one year, Mbugua added.