Ruiru: Farmers who rear broiler chicken from across the country have formed a cooperative society in a bid to save themselves from exploitation by brokers and improve the pricing of their poultry. The over 20,000 farmers believe that through the Sacco, they would have a better bargaining power to enhance the pricing of broiler meat, which has historically been low.
According to Kenya News Agency, the farmers expressed their grievances during a meeting in Ruiru town, where they lamented being forced to sell a kilo of broiler meat for Sh240, often incurring losses due to broker-controlled pricing in the sector. Peninah Wanjiru, a farmer from Ruiru and organizer of the meeting, highlighted the challenges faced, emphasizing the need for better pricing of Sh340 per kilo to avoid continuous losses.
The farmers, numbering over 100,000 across the country, believe they can dictate pricing once they all join the Sacco. Wanjiru stressed that the cooperative society would empower the farmers by enabling access to affordable feed and securing direct market linkages both locally and internationally.
Gakuru Mureithi, a long-time poultry farmer, urged government intervention, warning of potential abandonment of poultry farming if the current pricing trends persist. He pointed out the rising cost of chicken feed against the stagnant and low farm gate prices of broilers, predicting a possible shortage of locally produced chicken if no action is taken.
Antony Maina, another farmer from Ruiru, mentioned the possibility of negotiating with international markets if brokers continue to control local pricing, which could lead to a scarcity of chicken meat in the local market despite rising demand.
The farmers also appealed for government support in the form of incentives, including farm inputs and extension services, to boost production. Maina compared their plight to that of coffee, tea, and sugarcane farmers, who receive government waivers to alleviate debts and losses, and urged similar consideration for poultry farmers given their significant role in the country’s agricultural sector.