This archive report was first published on 21 August 2020.
Kenya's animal feed prices have hit a new high, with a kilogram of wheat bran now costing Sh20, up from Sh14, and maize germ at Sh25, up from Sh17.
The shortage of key supplements, including maize germ, wheat bran, and wheat pollard, has been caused by millers scaling down their operations due to slow-moving stocks of flour on retail shelves.
Maize and wheat millers have reduced their processing activities, leaving them with large quantities of unsold product, which has led to a sharp decline in the availability of these materials.
According to Joseph Karuri, chairman of the Association of Kenya Animal Feeds Manufacturers, over 50 percent of the supplements used by animal feeds manufacturers come from millers, but reduced operations at the mills have led to a sharp decline of these materials, pushing up the cost to historic highs.
Mr Karuri noted that importation of yellow maize has not had much impact in checking the prevailing high prices of the animal feeds, as it has been weighed down by exorbitant costs of these key supplements.
The retail price of animal feed has remained at a three-year high since January, with the cost of a 70 kilo bag of chick mash rising to Sh3,600 from Sh3,300 previously, while growers mash is retailing at Sh3,100 from Sh2,800.
