Signature Issue
In August 2016, Right Track Africa carried out a market study for Kenya Market Trust (KMT), in Kenya. KMT commissioned the study “Animal feed study: Mapping animal feed manufactures and ingredient suppliers” to establish the factors that affect feed costs and quality and limit their effective utilization at farm level. The study was carried out between August and October 2016, by a study team from Right Track Africa (RTA) and Nutrimix Limited. The report developed findings and recommendations in pertinent areas such as populations and distribution, ingredient demand and supply, quality control (internal and policies), supply chain and pricing models.
Overview
The study sought to establish the total population of feed manufacturers and raw material suppliers in the country, their location, infrastructural capacity and volumes of product handled. The total population of the feed operators encountered was 305, consisting of 115 who only manufactured feed, 96 who supplied raw materials (or ingredients) and 94 who did both. Hence a total of about 210 feed millers, which more than twice the number established in a 2008 survey by the Ministry of Livestock Development. A revelation that emerged as soon as the study got underway was that a large number of raw material suppliers did not have fixed physical addresses. They (the suppliers) worked by connecting ingredient sources to ordering customers (manufacturers, distributors and even retailers) through their distribution and transport systems. The study used data collected from feed manufacturers, raw material or ingredient suppliers, farmers and key informants along routes regions and towns where intensive feed manufacturing is expected to take place. This included Nairobi city and its environs, central Kenya and upper Eastern, Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza, and lower Eastern and Coastal. Census data was collected from all the feed dealers and a survey of a few selected as sample. Key informants and relevant literature was also collected from institutions and organizations, including the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, KARLO, ILRI and ICRAF, Egerton University, and the University of Nairobi. The team also collected information from farmers using focus group discussions along the routes.