Feed millers now want the government to extend the importation of duty-free raw materials to three years when the supply of basic animal feeds raw material will stabilize.
Speaking during a press briefing to articulate how the lifting of the ban on genetically modified organisms will affect the animal feed industry, Association for Kenya Feed manufactures secretary general Martin Kinoti said the extension will give millers more options of where to source the commodity, especially yellow maize and Soya.
Kinoti called upon President Ruto’s administration to lift duty on all animal feeds raw materials especially vitamins that are used in the manufacture of feed. According to Kinoti, the cost of animal feeds has gone up by 40-60 percent in the last two years.
Currently, a 70kg bag of a dairy meal is retailing at 2,500 shillings, layers mash at 3,500 shillings, and broiler starter mash at 4,750 shillings. The prices are expected to rise further in the coming weeks owing to the prevailing high cost of raw materials.
Feeds account for over 70 percent of the cost of production for eggs and 50 percent for milk production. The price upsurge will consequently be passed to consumers through increased animal product prices. This means that consumers will have to pay more for products such as eggs and dairy products which are still on an upward trend.
“Currently the price of one liter of processed milk has risen from 110 shillings to 140-150 shillings, a kg of a broiler to 300 shillings from 200 while a tray of eggs is retailing at 360 shillings from 300 shillings. These prices are being driven by a drop in the local supply,” Kinoti said.
Kinoti lauded the government’s move of lifting the ban on Genetically Modified organisms (GMOs) noting that the ban limited the sources of feed raw materials triggering a high cost of the products due to scarcity.
“Due to the ban, AKEFEMA members could not access soya beans a key source of feed proteins from the open market, such as the countries that grow GMO products such as Brazil, Argentina, and the USA. With the lifting of the ban, Kenya can source key ingredients from Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Uganda,” he said.
Kinoti had earlier said that this year’s feed situation is worse than last year.