The Chamwada Report this weeks focused on a common agri-business venture that has grown in leaps and bounds, enriching folks who do it the right way.
Still on our continued series on animals, Elijah Mwangi visited two poultry farms in Ongata Rongai to understand why poultry farming has become such a money-minting business.
Poultry farmers still struggle with among other issues, finding the right feed for their birds. PHOTO| COURTESY
The journey started at Kandisi, where we meet Margaret Wambua. She is an established poultry farmer who quit her formal employment to venture into the business.
And she is not regretting, at least, she admits. And Margaret has been in this business for four years now. So what does it take to successfully run this business?
Poultry industry in Kenya is not at its peak yet.
Experts say there are programs that have been put in place to steer the industry to its required standards and by extension compete leading countries like China, the United States and even South Africa, which is the continental giant in poultry farming.
Also on The Chamwada Report:
Statistics indicate that China leads the world in poultry farming, rearing about 3 billion chicken, followed by 1.9 billion in the United States.
Dr Victor Yamo, World Animal Protection Manager in charge of animals and farming says for passionate farmers like Margaret Wambua to get it right, things must change.
"The industry has not put together its standards but there is a collaboration to develop industry standards," he says.
“My assessment is that we are not very far from the rest of the globe… we are almost where the industry is supposed to be."
Data from the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries indicate that Kenya has a bird population over 31 million. Of these, 75% are indigenous chicken, 22% broilers and layers while the remaining 1% represent the breeding stock.
Statistics indicate that about 22 per cent of Kenya's bird population are broilers. PHOTO| COURTESY
And the chicken, like other animals, must be taken care of well.
On the show tonight, Margaret Wambua tells of how she manages to vaccinate, feed and wash her chicken to improve their health and maximize their productivity.
Also on the show, we feature another poultry farmer, Caroline Ndungu still in Rongai.
She tells us of her journey in the business which started with only 300 birds but has expanded to about 6000.
The show answers your questions on feeds,feed prices, vaccination, right market and diseases engulfing poultry farming.
