Posted on January, 18, 2022 at 10:21 am
The price of animal feeds has gone up by Sh100 to reach an all-time high as the cost of maize continues to rise amid a stalemate on the importation of yellow grain that is touted to tame the cost.
The price of a 70-kilogramme bag of the dairy meal has gone up from Sh3,400 last December last year to Sh3,500, chick marsh is retailing at Sh4,300 from Sh4,200 while layers is now selling at Sh3,900 from Sh3,800.
The recent jump marks the highest price to have ever been recorded in Kenya with millers warning that the cost will continue to rise if the current standoff on importation of yellow maize is not resolved.
Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers said the rising cost is in response to an increase in prices of maize that has now hit Sh3,200 for 90-kg bag from Sh2,800 amid inadequate supplies in the market.
“The price has gone up by Sh100 across all the feeds and there is a likelihood that this will continue going up until an intervention measure to address this is put in place,” said Joseph Karuri, Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers chairman.
Animal feeds are normally made from the same white maize used for the processing of flour, creating competition between the two.
The Treasury approved the decision to import yellow maize a month ago following President Uhuru Kenyatta directive to have an intervention measure in place to address the high cost.
However, the importers are unable to commence the process as they cannot find produce that is 100 percent genetically modified organism (GMO) free.
Feed makers have now written to the Treasury asking it to amend the standards and align them to European guidelines that allow a minimum purity of 99.1 percent.
A genetically modified organism is one whose genetic makeup has been altered to favour the expression of desired traits such as better crop yield and resistance to herbicides.
GMOs are, however, controversial, with fears that they can cause harm to human health and the environment.
Source: Business Daily