KENYA – Poultry farmers in Kenya are facing a critical shortage of day-old chicks, causing significant operational challenges and threatening to drive up egg prices.
Joseph Karuri, the chairman of the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers, highlighted the difficulties layer farmers encounter in sourcing these essential chicks.
Karuri noted that the shortage has exacerbated the already challenging conditions for farmers, predicting that the scarcity could lead to higher egg prices in the market.
“We are experiencing a shortage of day-old chicks, which may result in increased egg prices,” he explained.
He further mentioned that the situation has caused a nearly six-month delay from the time of booking to the receipt of stock.
The issue traces back to the Covid-19 pandemic, which reduced farmers’ purchasing power and led breeders to cut production due to decreased demand.
“This problem is not unique to Kenya; it’s a global issue. However, there is hope as the process is gradually improving. It may take about a year to stabilize,” Karuri added.
Zachary Munyambu, a poultry farmer from Ngoigwa in Thika, Kiambu County, underscored the difficulty and high costs involved in accessing the chicks.
Munyambu, who chairs the Kiambu Poultry Farmers Cooperative Society, said that day-old chicks for layers now sell for Sh140 to Sh170 each.
The cost of production remains high, driven by expensive feed.
Chicken meat production in Kenya has also declined, dropping to approximately 69,200 metric tons in 2020 from 88,700 metric tons in the previous year.
The production had peaked at nearly 131,700 metric tons in 2018 before experiencing a downward trend.
The crisis in the poultry sector is further aggravated by an impending trade agreement between Kenya and the United States, which, if finalized, would permit the importation of finished poultry products from the U.S., posing a significant threat to the domestic industry.
Small-scale farmers, in particular, have intensified their opposition to this agreement.
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