Small-scale poultry farmers in Kenya are opposed to a proposal to allow importation of finished poultry products from the USA, which they say poses unfair competition and is a threat to the local industry.
Lydia Wanjiku, a poultry farmer in Kiamumbi, Kiambu county who rears a flock of 1000 chickens, is among those against the agreement. For Wanjiku and others like her, their livelihoods are at stake.
“If the agreement is ratified, I will be forced forced to shut down my business, my customers will suffer, and my investment will be lost, because I’m unable to compete with the flood of imported poultry products from the USA,” said Wanjiku during a Farmer Sensitisation Meeting in Nairobi.
In a memorandum addressed to Trade, Principal Secretary, Alfred Ombudo K’Ombudo, the Poultry Breeders Association of Kenya, say: “The Kenyan poultry value chain stands on the precipice of collapse if finished poultry imports from the USA are allowed to inundate the market, because the local sector cannot compete from a developed market
“If the imports are allowed, it will weaken local producers, cost thousands of jobs, limited expansion and economic activity in poor rural areas and threatened food security, particularly in vulnerable communities. Therefore, the USA Congress and Senate need to see this bigger picture.”
The memorandum 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 USA, making it impossible for local producers to compete on a level playing field.
Moreover, the memorandum underscores the broader implications of allowing mass imports of finished poultry products. Not only would it devastate countless small-scale farmers like Wanjiku, but it would also have far-reaching consequences for the entire Kenyan economy.
The poultry value chain is a significant contributor to employment, food security, and economic growth in Kenya. Allowing cheap imports to flood the market would undermine decades of investment and development efforts in the local poultry industry.
Those in the Kenyan poultry sector are calling on the government to reconsider its position on the impending agreement with the USA. They urge policymakers to prioritize the interests of local farmers and businesses by excluding finished poultry products from the agreement.