NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya faces a staggering annual livestock feed deficit of 33 million metric tonnes, a shortfall that has severely impacted livestock production across the country.
To tackle this issue, the government has invested more than Sh55 billion over the past two years, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
This massive injection of funds aims to boost local fodder production and reduce reliance on imports.
Dr. Stanley Mutua, the head of Animal Feeds and Nutrition at the Ministry of Agriculture, revealed that the country currently produces only 22 million metric tonnes of livestock feed each year — a far cry from the 55 million metric tonnes required to meet market demand.
Even more concerning is that 46pc of this limited production goes to waste due to poor post-harvest storage practices.
In response, the government has prioritized investments in key energy and protein-rich feed value chains such as sorghum, sunflower, cotton seeds, soya, and black soldier fly farming.
“The government has pumped more than Ksh 55 billion in the last two years to support enhanced local production of feed in the country to meet market demand and curb imports,” Dr. Mutua noted during a capacity-building workshop for the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems Project.
These efforts are aimed at enhancing livestock production, improving livelihoods for farmers, and combating malnutrition among children, which currently affects 26pc of the population.
One of the critical challenges in the fodder sector is the high rate of post-harvest losses. To address this, Dr. Mutua announced plans to establish feed storage hubs in every county, each capable of holding up to 100,000 bales of fodder.
This initiative aims to minimize losses and ensure a steady supply of quality feed to livestock farmers.
David Maina from the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) highlighted that the sector is still recovering from recent droughts, climate change effects, and the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which have all disrupted feed supply chains.
During the 2021-2022 drought, Kenya lost 2.5 million livestock due to a prolonged lack of pasture and water.
To prevent such calamities in the future, AU-IBAR is working with individual countries to develop national feed inventories and invest more resources into the sector.
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is stepping in to provide technical support. Prof. Isabelle Baltenweck from ILRI emphasized that the organization is assisting countries through remote sensing and community-based data collection methods to inform better policy decisions.
“Analyzed data will enable countries to better assess their feed banks, prepare forecasts, and mitigate future aftershocks such as drought, flooding, and other climate-induced challenges,” she explained.
This approach will provide a more data-driven way to manage livestock feed production and storage, ensuring a more resilient system.
The livestock feed crisis in Kenya is a complex issue, but with the government’s robust investment and support from organizations like AU-IBAR and ILRI, there’s hope for a turnaround.
By building a more efficient and resilient feed supply system, Kenya aims to secure its livestock industry, boost farmers’ livelihoods, and improve the nation’s food security.
