Government intervenes to reduce animal and chicken feed prices

The cost of livestock and chicken feeds is set to come down as the government considers various ways to raise profits for local farmers.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday said the government was in consultation with the feed manufacturers to explore options that would see a drop in the prices.

Speaking when he held discussions with representatives of the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA) at Harambee House Annex, the Deputy President said the Kenya Kwanza administration would stick to its commitment to making farming more productive and competitive. 

The high cost of feeds had contributed to costly farm products making them less competitive in the local and regional market, Mr Gachagua observed.

“In the spirit of consultation that we have adopted as a Government, the Ministry of Agriculture will work with the manufacturers to develop an actionable and verifiable plan on making the feeds affordable to our farmers,” he stated.

The government, he added,  is keen on making farming beneficial to manufacturers and farmers and that the best way to do so is by reducing the cost of production.

He said they had discussed ways to make livestock and chicken farming more competitive by reducing the cost of feeds which has often contributed to the expensive farm products.  

This is one of the interventions the government is pursuing in order to make farming lucrative once again and ultimately cut the cost of living.

The plan is to cut the cost of the feeds so farmers could increase their earnings. They will also supply more affordable and competitive products to the markets.  

Already, farmers have received subsidized fertilizers for the coming planting season as the government has fulfilled one of the promises made during the campaigns ahead of the last elections.

The manufacturers led by AKEFEMA Chairman Joseph Karauri promised to work with the government on modalities that would see farmers benefit from cheaper feeds.