Kenyan Farmers Cry Foul as US Chicken Imports Flood Kenyan Market
Kenyan poultry farmers and traders have lamented the influx of imported products from the United States as well as Brazil.
Lobby groups representing poultry farmers and traders expressed fears that last week’s US Trade Mission in Nairobi is likely to open the floodgates for chicken imports from the US that are already negatively impacting local business.
“We understand that Kenya enjoys a duty and quota free window in exporting goods to the US under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act but this should not be a reciprocal measure as it will kill small-scale poultry farming,” the lobby groups said.
The groups; Animal Feed Manufacturers, Kenya Poultry Farmers Association and Kenya Poultry Breeders have written to the government seeking intervention.
A team from the Veterinary Department is currently in the US to carry out a risk analysis of the poultry market in the US, according to Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai.
Kimtai indicated that poultry products from the US entered the Kenyan market through Zanzibar, purporting to have originated from the island nation.
“We dispatched some officials from the Vet department to conduct a risk analysis of the poultry market in the US on request of an importer who wants to bring in poultry products,” said Kimtai.
On Wednesday, Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri told a parliament committee that his ministry would release a report on food safety in two weeks after a team from the US finalizes its work.
He urged MPs to change the laws to allow the Agriculture ministry to establish its own agency – the National Food Safety Authority – to monitor the quality of food in the market.
“The issue of food safety is of concern to the ministry. It is a high time we came up with food safety authority given the recent reports on aflatoxin contamination. We want you to give it a political voice once we establish this authority,” Kiunjuri said.
Comments (24)
We are dead, nothing in Kenya is good for human consumption!
What happened to Kenchic?
Home-grown businesses are strangled by the kitu-kidogo culture...by the time you get your cheque, it's not worth it.
Then, the competition brought by imports... underground businesses ran mainly by the LEADERS and their friends. You think a kawaida person will be able to bring these poison chicken....sugar...rice..na kadhalika? Our mis-Leaders ....yes, the ones we vote in ourselves, have brought Kenya to it's knees. God have mercy.
Competition is good, keeps prices low for consumers. Maybe Kenyan poultry farmers will keep to production standards that are safe and healthy. That would definitely give them an edge over imports. Fresh, contaminant free, locally raised....just saying.
Competition is only good if its fair.Of course it wont be fair if the imported product(chicken) is below what the Kenyan producer can make aprofit of off.
Its not an easy question.Some time the government has to step in to protect the local industry ,like its doing to revive textile industry,by banning mitumba. Yes free market is good if its fair.
You are an idiot. Kenyan chicken is not comparable to that tasteless option that is being imported. Again you are an idiot because imports are hurting local farmers. Once again you are an idiot
Mtakula anti-biotics chlorinated chicken mkufe kama umbwa na cancer kibao. Ngojeni.
Kuku za US are better than kuku za China.
God knows what Chinese chickens are eating. Plastic chicken.
Were we competing against China?
Do we really need imported chicken from China or US? We have better food alternatives in Kenya than this factory food.
Wakenya eat only kuku kienyenji. Why would somebody in Kenya by USA chicken that taste like BigG without sugar.
Chicken, eggs, maize, fish ....
Looks like farming in Kenya is on a down slope. Are you listening Uhuru?
Something is not right. This is what happens when you are led by lazy fools full of greed. And who said US chicken is safer?
Kenyans b prepared to die of cancer from american chickens which continues to kill americans daily in big numbers.This americans chickens get injected by drugs in them?Very sad that the kenyan gavament can allow cancer chickens from united state to b brot in.
You have no idea. Here in kenya every shopping center has an animal feeds shop that doubles as an animal antibiotics shop.
Sad indeed, just avoid eating imported chicken cause you can easily identify the difference between local and imported chicken.
This is what Idaho potatoes did to Jamaica. Destroy their local Agriculture sector, while promoting the US farmers. Less nutritious GMOs. Cancer explosions; who cares about Africa. The farmers in the US need returns ok their product. Let them die!
The American Food and Drugs Administration(FDA), requires that all chickens which are safe for human consumption be grown without antibiotics. But the rules only apply in the US. US and Chinese exporters convincingly made their case, that these rules do not apply to Kenya!
I don't believe in FDA, all chicken in the US are feed antibiotics,the reason being so much infections and outbreaks due to overcrowding. It is industrial farming.
Chicken in the U.S. has no taste. We here seek 'kienyeji' chicken because it tastes better than the American products. I hope the Kenyan govt will impose labeling restrictions to identify imported vs locally grown fowl, and country of origin.
Another trump Quid Pro Quo.... you buy our sick chicken....you get direct flights to usa....and free fight against terror support. OTHERWISE, who buys Americas poison-meat... with all the GRASS-FED, tasty meat in Kenya???
I may hate that S.O.B RUTO, But I can guarantee you 100% that he WOULD NEVER! Allow these kinda shenanigans we witness with the current presidency and government. Yaani, Waliamua watauwa wakenya live live! Kila mtu weka kitchen garden! Boycott all these FILTHY outlets out to hurt and kill you. MOST OF ALL QUIT ELECTING LEADERS BASED ON TRIBAL AFFILIATION. JUBILEE WAKO KIMYA! NA WAKAE KIMYA HIVYO TU KABISAAAAA!!!!!! Jubilee you share the responsibility alongside the leaders you elected in office.
There are somethings that we cannot argue that should be imported,because we do not have the technological know how,or it could be unecomonically unsound.But for God's sake why should kuku from USA be cheaper than locally "manufactured"?.This defies logic.We have the land, freight,and cheap labour.What amI missing?
Antibiotic chicken and is flu of fecal matter, wakenya are on Africas death bed.