Poultry farmers oppose upcoming agreement with the United States

The poultry sector in Kenya is on the brink of a crisis, as stakeholders including small-scale farmers, raise their voices against the impending agreement between Kenya and the United States. The agreement, if passed, would allow the importation of finished poultry products from the USA, posing an existential threat to the local industry.

Lydia Wanjiku, a poultry farmer in Kiamumbi, Ruiru, who tends to her flock of 1,000 chickens, is among the many voices speaking out against the agreement. For Lydia and others like her, their livelihoods are at stake. “If the agreement is ratified, I will be forced to shut down my business, my customers will suffer, and my investment will be lost because I’d be unable to compete with the flood of imported poultry products from the USA,” said Wanjiku at a recent farmer sentitisation meeting in Nairobi.

In a memorandum addressed to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industries PS Alfred Ombudo K’Ombudo (pictured), the Poultry Breeders Association of Kenya, a leading advocacy group representing the interests of poultry farmers and industry stakeholders across Kenya, presents a stark reality.  “The Kenyan poultry sector stands on the precipice of collapse if finished poultry imports from the USA are allowed to inundate the market, because the local sector can not compete from a developed market,” the memorandum indicates.

The letter further argues that “if the imports are allowed, it will weaken local producers, cost thousands of jobs, limit expansion and economic activity in poor rural areas and threaten food security, particularly in vulnerable communities. Therefore, the USA Congress and Senate need to see this bigger picture.”

Production cost

The memorandum meticulously outlines the challenges faced by local poultry producers. It highlights the vast discrepancies in production costs, standards, and regulations between Kenya and the USA. Unlike their American counterparts who benefit from economies of scale and advanced technology, Kenyan poultry farmers operate under far more constrained conditions. The cost of production in Kenya far exceeds that of the US, making it impossible for local producers to compete on a level playing field.

In light of these compelling arguments, stakeholders in the Kenyan poultry sector implore the government to reconsider its position on the impending agreement with the USA. They urge policymakers to prioritise the interests of local farmers and businesses by excluding finished poultry products from the agreement.