Mea products dealer Farmer’s Choice has cut the volume of pig feeds that it sells to its farmers by 32 percent owing to the high cost of key ingredients used in making the meals.
The firm says a severe shortage of raw material has forced the cut of weekly tonnage from 220 tonnes to 150 tonnes.
Farmer’s Choice traditionally sells feeds to its suppliers as part of a quality assurance strategy in the wake of fakes in the market.
Meat products dealer Farmer’s Choice has cut the volume of pig feeds that it sells to its farmers by 32 percent owing to the high cost of key ingredients used in making the meals.
The firm says a severe shortage of raw material has forced the cut of weekly tonnage from 220 tonnes to 150 tonnes.
Farmer’s Choice traditionally sells feeds to its suppliers as part of a quality assurance strategy in the wake of fakes in the market.
The firm, in a letter to its farmers, says the market situation continues to deteriorate with scarcity and high price of wheat pollard and wheat bran persisting, which has seen the ingredients cost rise threefold since January.
“Despite our best efforts to increase/maintain our sales volumes, there has been no change in the feed raw material situation… it is in light of this crisis that I regret to confirm that our weekly sales volumes at Kasarani will decrease from the current 220 tonnes to 150 tonnes effective October 4,” said Sharon Tsigadi, a General Manager at Farmer’s Choice.
Ms Tsigadi said that all pointers indicate that the situation will worsen and that there only hope is pinned on the government allowing importation of duty-free GMO maize.
She said the company will revert to unrestricted sales volumes as soon as they can stock up on raw materials.
The government in August ruled out the importation of GMO yellow maize following a request by millers to have them allowed to ship in the product to address the current high cost of animal feeds.
The State said that decision can only be made by a committee that is looking at the current food situation in the county adding that the ban on GMO was still in place hence ruling out the importation of these biotech crops.
Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA) petitioned the government to allow duty-free importation of GMO yellow maize and soya to ease the current deficit that has seen the price of livestock hit a historic high.
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