Volunteer Technical Assistance – Assignment
Kenya
Assignment Title: Develop a Data Bank of locally available raw materials and feed formula
Assignment Number: KEN015
Assignment Location: Nairobi
Recruiter: Johnnie Frueauff, ext. 3014
Number of Volunteers Requested: 1
Terms of Reference:
In Kenya, Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA) is an industry association that brings together licensed feed manufacturers. The association was registered in 2004. The association was formed in response to realisation that feed manufacturers have a role in quality input production distribution and client capacity building.
One of the most important determinants of the future growth of the poultry sector is availability of affordable high quality feeds. In a recent survey by AKEFEMA, Poultry feed constitute 68% of the total livestock feed output. Feed manufacture and marketing is a challenging business in Kenya given the cost of transportation, the length of the ingredient supply chain and competition between poultry and humans for limited maize supply.
Since its formation; AKEFEMA has brought players together in an attempt to improve service delivery, and was instrumental in the formation of Kenya Poultry Farmers Association (KEPOFA) in 2004. The association secured an office space through the collaborative efforts with Ministry of Livestock Development in 2007. The Agricultural Sector Coordination Unit (ASCU) funded the association to carry out a baseline sector survey in 2008. In 2008/09, AKEFEMA successfully lobbied for the importation of yellow maize by four feed millers and is collaborating with Kenya Bureau of Standards for the implementation of the standard mark sign of quality.
Control and prevention of HPAI and other poultry diseases is of critical importance to profitability of AKEFEMA members. The members of AKEFEMA need to project an image of a sector that is firmly engaged in ýsafe foodý practices, including regular monitoring of feed ingredients for aflatoxins and heavy metal contaminants. AKEFEMA should own and award to compliant members a ýseal of feed qualityý that reflects Best management practices on the part of member feed manufacturers, assuring consumers of poultry feed products that are tested and certified to be free from any problems.
Feed costs account for upwards of 70% of production costs for peri-urban broiler and egg producers (sectors 1, 2 and 3). Maize constitutes 30% to 40% or more of conventional poultry rations. Poultry (and swine) in Kenya directly compete with humans for maize supplies which have been under stress for the past two years. Kenya imports most of the maize used in Kenyan poultry rations from Uganda, where banana is preferred to maize as the staple crop. Kenya produces little or no soybean oil meal. Cottonseed and sunflower seed meals, the main protein ingredients in poultry feeds come from Tanzania. Fishmeal comes from the Kenyan shores of Lake Victoria. Kenya imports all vitamin and mineral pre-mixes from Europe, Asia or the US. High fuel prices and increasing competition from growing poultry production sectors in Uganda and Tanzania are driving up ingredient prices for Kenyan feed millers.
It is therefore necessary to look into alternative feed derived from locally available and cheap raw materials without compromising standards. This requires research to identify and develop feed formulae using the raw materials identified.
More information at http://www2.winrock.org/volunteer/assignment.asp?BU=False&id=4863
