Farmers who rear broiler chicken from across the country have formed a cooperative society in a bid to save them from exploitation by brokers and improve pricing of their poultry.
The over 20,000 farmers said through the Sacco, they would have a better bargaining power to improve the pricing of broiler meat that has over the years been low.
Speaking during a meeting in Ruiru town, the farmers decried that they have been forced to sell a kilo of broiler meat for Sh240, sometimes making loses due to brokers who have controlled pricing in the sector.
“This business can give you stress. Ensuring the chicken get to Citi market by 3am, you negotiate with brokers who have been in the industry for long. We have to negotiate for a better pricing of Sh340 a kilo from Sh240 per kilo. We are tired of making loses,” said Peninah Wanjiru, a farmer from Ruiru and organizer of the meeting.
They said with over 100,000 broiler chicken farmers across the country, they could dictate pricing once they all join the Sacco.
“We are the backbone of this industry, yet we earn the least. Middlemen dictate prices, leaving us with losses after months of hard work,” she lamented.
Besides better pricing, Wanjiru said the cooperative society would empower the farmers to access affordable feed, and secure direct market linkages, locally and abroad.
Gakuru Mureithi, a long-time poultry farmer, called on the government to intervene, warning that if the trend continues, many farmers will abandon poultry farming.
“The cost of chicken feed has skyrocketed, yet the farm gate price of broilers remains unreasonably low. If nothing is done, we may soon face a severe shortage of locally produced chicken,” he cautioned.
According to Antony Maina, another farmer from Ruiru, they might be forced to negotiate with markets abroad for their produce, starving the local market with chicken meat despite its rising demand.
“If brokers continue to dictate pricing, as a Sacco, we might be forced to explore international market to restore profitability we are tired of making loses,” Maina said.
The farmers also called for the government support in providing them with incentives including farm inputs and provision of extension services to boost production.
“Just like the waivers that the government provides to coffee, tea and sugarcane farmers to save them from debts and losses, the government should also consider poultry farmers for such an incentive since we play a big role in agricultural production in the country,” Maina said.
By Muoki Charles