Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi has cautioned Kenyans not to complain about the rising prices of eggs saying it is beneficial to farmers.
Speaking on Tuesday, Linturi said that the prices of eggs have gone up
due to high demand from consumers.
"Why are Kenyans complaining if the price of eggs has gone up? That is beneficial to my farmers," he said.
He said that when the prices go up, it is an opportunity for farmers to invest more in the chicken business.
Linturi said it is also due to the rising cost of raw materials for chicken rearing.
The CS said he has engaged the animal feed manufacturers to deliberate on the way forward.
The cost of eggs has almost doubled to an average of Sh642 per tray in January from Sh360 in May last year.
A spot check across the shops in residential estates shows that on average a crate retails for between Sh430 and Sh450 for a crate carrying 30 eggs.
In the leading retail chains, however, the figure rose to between Sh495 and Sh642.
A rapid surge in the cost of chicken feeds is forcing poultry farmers to scale down their stock resulting in an increase in egg prices driven by scarcity.
With the reduced production, most shops and supermarkets are suffering from a low supply of eggs which has seen the price of the commodity spike by about 30 per cent in just six months.
