Poultry farmers decry high cost of animal feeds

The high cost of animal feeds had left poultry farmers in panic with many closing shop or downsizing the number of birds they keep.

Buketi Wafula, a broiler farmer in Kiserian in Kajiado county has reduced the number of birds he keeps from 6,000 to 2,000.  

He was under contract farming with Quality Meat Parkers in Nairobi but from July last year, Wafula struggled to sustain his business due to high cost of feeds.

“Before, I was selling a bird at Sh330, with my cost of production being at Sh285 per bird and I had 6,000 birds. When the prices of feeds increased, I realised I was making losses of about Sh11 per bird so I downsized,” he said.

Wafula is also the chairman of Broiler World Cooperative Society Limited, which has a membership of 200 farmers.

He said farming is no longer sustainable as the cost of producing one bird has gone up from Sh285 to Sh400.

He said this is despite the fact that the market is still offering a buying price of between Sh380 and Sh400 per bird.

“When a farmer sells a bird at Sh380, one will be at a loss of Sh20. When you negotiate with the customer on increasing the price they will also tell you things are tight on their side, so we are caught in between,” Wafula said.

“The cost of feed is high and the purchasing power is low. But if the market was responsive such that one can sell the birds at a price of about Sh500, then farmers will be able to break even."

Zachary Munyambu from Ngoigwa in Thika, Kiambu county, keeps layers and he has also downsized his birds from 3,000 to 1,000.

Munyambu, who is also the chairman of Kiambu County Poultry Farmer Cooperative Society urged government to intervene and help to lower the cost of feeds.

He said the government should listen to farmers’ because the cost of feeds continues to increase almost every week at Sh200 per 70kg bag.

“We need them to hear our cries because we are talking about food security and farmers are frustrated because they are unable to repay their loans. Personally I have a bank loan I am unable to service," Munyamu said.

" Most farmers are desperate and they are closing their farms and sacking their employees. I think going forward, poultry, pig and dairy farming will no longer be viable for many farmers."

Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers secretary general Martin Kinoti said the feeds situation now is worse than it was last year. 

He said the prices have increased by Sh300 to Sh400 per 70kg bag.

A 70kg bag of layers’ mash is selling at Sh3,500 while that of broiler starter mash is priced at Sh4,750.

“These prices are likely to go up again in the next one week due to the prevailing high cost of raw materials. Currently a tray of eggs is retailing at Sh360 from Sh300 a month ago," Kinoti said.

According to statistics from Tegemeo Institute, competitiveness of the livestock value chain is directly impacted by the costs of feeds.

For instance, feeds account for over 70 per cent of the cost of production for eggs.

(Edited by Tabnacha O)