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Livestock PS Jonathan Mueke said the country faces a 33 million tonne animal feed deficit every year.
Although annual feed demand is about 55 million tons, there is still a serious gap.
Currently, the industry is only 40% supplied.
“Nearly half (46.3%) of the available feed is lost after harvest,” the PS said.
Speaking at the 2024 Akefema Feed Exhibition and Conference in Nairobi, Muke highlighted the issues that have prevented the feed industry from keeping pace with the development of the livestock sector.
“These include lack of raw materials, limited sources of new feed protein, suboptimal transportation, storage, production and application practices, and lack of feed quality testing facilities.”
He added: “These barriers apply not only to the production side of feed, but also to the farmers who utilise the feed.”
Farmers often don’t realise the benefits of using quality feed and that it is cheaper in the long run than mixing their own feed.
Furthermore, they are unaware of the dangers of poor storage and feeding practices.
“The development of Kenya’s forage sector is hampered by factors such as limited awareness, poor access to affordable improved forage seeds/plant material, seasonality due to rain-fed dependence on forage production, inadequate forage supply and substandard quality of forages (both grasses and legumes) in rations.”
Currently, dairy cows are fed just enough feed to maintain their body functions.
“As a result, milk is often produced by feeding expensive concentrates and low-quality feed.”
In addition to the quantity of livestock feed, whether manufacturers meet standards is another limiting factor.
“It is well known that among the more than 300 feed manufacturers in the country, many produce substandard products, which has a negative impact on the industry.
“Consumers of these products pay high prices without receiving anything in return for their production,” he said.
The conference was organized by the Kenya Feed Manufacturers Association with the theme “Maintaining resilience and innovation in the changing feed industry landscape to enhance food security in the region”.
Ake Ferma It is an umbrella organization that brings together feed manufacturers across the country.
The association’s president, Joseph Kaluri, said more than 500 delegates from the region would attend the meeting.
“The exhibition will provide a platform for our members and representatives to learn the latest technologies in the field of feed production so as to ultimately improve their production efficiency,” he said.
More than 50 exhibitors from all over the world will present innovations and technologies in the field of feed manufacturing.
“They will be able to produce high-quality and cheap feed. Ultimately, farmers will get high-quality feed at a low cost, and ultimately consumers will pay less for eggs, milk and meat.”
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