KENYA – Poultry farmers in Kenya’s Kiambu County have gained a significant advantage following a training program on feed production and mixing to improve yields and reduce production costs.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Korean Programme for International Co-operation in Agriculture Technology (KOPIA), is crucial when high feed prices are squeezing farmers’ profits nationwide.
Farmers from Kahero village in the Kikuyu constituency are among the latest beneficiaries of KOPIA’s efforts to address the challenges of low productivity in agriculture.
The program focuses on empowering farmers to generate affordable and high-quality poultry feed recipes from locally available ingredients, which could be a turning point for many struggling poultry farmers.
Dr. Ji Gang Kim, Director of KOPIA Kenya, explained that the initiative will enable both women and men in farming groups to manufacture their own poultry feeds.
The surplus will be sold to local farmers, creating an additional income stream for participants.
According to Kim, this approach aims to commercialize poultry farming by integrating modern technologies, such as improved hatcheries and upgraded crop-farming systems, which are essential for boosting productivity and profitability.
“We are also helping farmers adopt modern technologies to enhance their operations. With this training, they will now have access to various types of feed, including layers’ mash, chick mash, and growers’ mash, all of which will strengthen their poultry farming business,” Kim noted during the training session at Ng’amba village.
The farmers also received guidance on managing poultry diseases, which is critical to reducing losses and improving their farms’ overall performance.
John Kuria, a leading farmer from the group, expressed optimism that the training would reduce production costs, allowing them to thrive as breeders and suppliers of indigenous chickens, which currently fetch favourable prices in the market.
Many farmers who had previously abandoned poultry farming due to high costs and low-quality feeds now see this initiative as an opportunity to turn their fortunes around.
With tailored feed formulations and small-scale feed production, the initiative provides a promising alternative to traditional farming methods, making poultry farming more sustainable and profitable.
Joyce Nyaruiru, another farmer, emphasized the economic importance of poultry farming in their community, noting that it is a vital component of both food security and poverty alleviation.
She called on the government to provide further financial support to help scale up poultry production, allowing farmers to maximize their newfound knowledge and skills.
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