NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya is preparing for a major breakthrough in its livestock sector with a bold push to mobilize $4.5 billion in investments in the country’s feed and fodder systems.
The Kenya Feed and Fodder Alliance (KeFFA), with support from the African Union–InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) under the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) Project, held a high-level partners’ breakfast in Nairobi to officially begin preparations for the national Fodder Contracting and Investment Action — KeFFCIA 1 — scheduled for June 25, 2025.
The move targets Kenya’s critical national feed deficit of over 30 million metric tonnes, a gap that weakens the country’s livestock industry, which contributes 12% to GDP and employs half of the agricultural workforce.
“This is a defining moment for the livestock economy,” said Tumal Olto, President of KeFFA. “We are creating a structured and sustainable market — not just to solve today’s crisis, but to drive long-term growth.”
KeFFCIA 1 will host Kenya’s first-ever Fodder Deal Room, bringing together fodder producers, processors, off-takers, cooperatives, financiers, and government agencies for real-time trade negotiations and investment matchmaking.
Out of the $4.5 billion investment potential, KeFFA projects $3 billion is needed for production, $1 billion for storage and logistics infrastructure, and $500 million for feed processing and value addition.
The initiative will also mark the official launch of KeFFA’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, which includes a strong focus on inclusive financing and opportunities for youth and women-led enterprises.
“This is not about a single event,” said David Maina, RAFFS Project Consultant. “We’re creating the foundation for structured, climate-smart, and commercially viable fodder systems.”
At the breakfast meeting hosted at a city hotel, AU-IBAR Director Dr Huyam Salih called for strong collaboration across sectors, noting that feed and fodder go beyond animal nutrition.
“They influence household incomes, food security, and rural development,” she said.
The upcoming June forum is expected to result in signed trade deals, investment commitments, and new partnerships.
It also aligns with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which has set aside $1 billion for agriculture and livestock value chains.
KeFFA has called on youth groups, cooperatives, startups, and local investors to step forward and take part in shaping the future of the fodder economy.
“Kenya can no longer afford emergency feed responses every drought season,” said Olto. “It’s time to build a feed-secure future — with our own people at the center of it.”
