Kenya: Feeds price surge looms on raw material shortage

Production of animal feeds has been hit by a shortage of by-products for processing as millers scale back on flour output due to low demand on shop shelves. Farmers are reporting a shortage of feeds, a situation that is likely to increase prices in the wake of supply constraint. The Association of Kenya Animal Feeds Manufacturers says the shortage has seen the price of major by-products used in the processing of meals go up significantly. For instance, a kilo of wheat bran has gone up to Sh34 from Sh17 previously, wheat pollard is now selling at Sh26 from Sh21 while maize germ is going for Sh26 from Sh19 for a kilo, marking the fourth time since the beginning of the year that the costs of these ingredients have been going up. “The situation has worsened with the shortage of key byproducts impacting on manufacturing of animal feeds,” said Martin Kinoti, the association’s secretary-general. The shortage has been occasioned by reduced demand from consumers, as most of them have opted ...