Feed makers push for GM crops as raw material crisis bites

Stakeholders in the animal feed industry, including manufacturers, discuss the shortage of raw materials used in animal feed production at exhibition stalls during the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA) Feeds Exhibition and Conference 2026 held in Nairobi [Nanjinia Wamuswa, Standard]

Since starting his livestock feed manufacturing business, John Gathogo, the founder and chief executive of Empire Feeds Ltd, can count the number of times he has enjoyed a reliable supply of raw materials, too often, during bumper maize harvests, when an abundance of grain drives prices down.

And in the decade he has operated the Athi River-based animal feed manufacturing company, such favourable seasons have been few and far between.

Although Kenya produces maize, Gathogo says the country does not grow enough product to meet the needs of both human consumption and the livestock feed industry.

To keep his business running, he imports nearly 80 per cent of the raw materials used to manufacture animal feeds, sourcing ingredients such as sunflower seed cake, maize germ and cottonseed cake from neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania, and even goes as far as Zambia, Malawi and India.

“Since I depend on imported raw materials, the cost of producing animal feeds has been very high. I have to factor in transport costs, import duties and other border-related charges, making Kenyan made feeds less competitive,” he says.

Meanwhile, demand for animal feeds remains high, as current production meets only about half of the country's feed manufacturing capacity.

Like Gathogo, many animal feed manufacturers say the biggest challenge facing the industry is the lack of adequate raw materials.

The animal feed industry remains highly challenging. Kenya has one of the most volatile feed markets, as manufacturers depend on nearly 20 different raw materials. At any given time, one or more of these ingredients may be in short supply or experience sharp price increases, driving up production costs and disrupting the supply of animal feed.

Currently, Kenya imports about 80 per cent of the raw materials from Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Malawi. As the livestock industries in these countries continue to expand, they may eventually have little surplus to export, creating a supply crisis for Kenya.

Kenya, also spends approximately Sh2.9 billion every month importing soybean and sunflower meal.

Meanwhile, as these challenges persist, Kenya's population has been projected to hit and surpass 100 million people by 2050, prompting the demand for milk, meat, eggs and fish to rise rapidly.

Experts say meeting this growing demand will require a more productive, competitive and resilient livestock sector. Achieving this begins with quality animal feed.

Speaking during the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA) Feeds Exhibition and Conference 2026, in Nairobi, stakeholders in the animal feed manufacturing sector said the animal feed prices in Kenya have risen by about 30 per cent in less than four years, significantly increasing production costs and threatening the sustainability of poultry, dairy, pig and beef farming enterprises.

The Meet brought together animal feed manufacturers, policymakers and industry leaders from Kenya and across Africa and focused on practical, science-based solutions to improve access to affordable, high-quality feed ingredients and restore the competitiveness of the livestock industry across the region.

One of the proposals that stakeholders fronted is for the Kenyan government to allow the use of genetically modified (GM) crops through importation or local cultivation to help address the shortage of raw materials used in animal feed.

They noted that countries such as the United States, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria and several European nations have safely used biotech maize and soybean meal in animal feeds for years.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA AfriCenter) Director, Dr Margaret Karembu said Kenya should consider allowing genetically modified raw materials, since the country already has an established biosafety regulatory framework overseen by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA).

Climate change is already reducing agricultural productivity through more frequent and severe droughts, making longterm planning increasingly urgent.

“For many years, Kenya has struggled to access sufficient raw materials for livestock feed. Yet the world's most competitive livestock-producing countries rely heavily on biotechnology-derived feed ingredients, particularly maize and soybeans,” said Karembu.

“We believe allowing the use of genetically modified raw materials, particularly for animal feed, is one way to strengthen food security.”

Karembu argued that the long-term solution lies in cultivating genetically modified maize and soybeans locally. Relying heavily on imports, poses a significant risk to the country's food security.

She explains that despite Kenya having a robust regulatory framework for biotechnology, misconceptions continue to hinder its implementation. She says misinformation and disinformation remain the biggest obstacles to the adoption of biotechnology.

The expert further points to the lack of harmonised biotechnology regulations across African countries as a major challenge. Although safety assessments are conducted using internationally accepted standards, differing national regulations create unnecessary trade barriers and limit the movement of feed ingredients across borders.

“If these barriers are addressed, reducing the cost of feed, which accounts for more than 60 per cent of livestock production costs, could lower the retail prices of eggs, milk and meat by about 30 per cent.”

AKEFEMA chairman, Joseph Karuri says feed is the single largest cost in livestock production, describing it as the foundation of food production.

Feed accounts for about 67 per cent of poultry production costs, about 55 to 70 per cent in dairy farming, and 65 to 70 per cent in pig and aquaculture production.

“Lower feed costs would therefore translate into lower food prices, improved farmer profitability and stronger food security,” he says.

Karuri reveals many animal feed manufacturers have been forced to scale down operations, while others have closed altogether. Several are currently operating at 50 to 60 per cent of installed capacity. This has far-reaching consequences for livestock farmers, rural livelihoods, employment and national food security.

Although the government lifted restrictions on the importation of biotech food and feed products in 2022, subsequent court petitions suspended the implementation of the decision pending judicial determination.

The suspension has locked feed manufacturers out of accessing genetically modified ingredients despite continued shortages of raw materials and rising feed costs.

“Expanding access to genetically modified raw materials would allow manufacturers to source quality yellow maize, soybean meal, canola meal, corn gluten meal and other feed ingredients from global markets,” Karuri says.

Dr Martin Mwirigi, the director of the Biotechnology Research Institute at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), says biotech crops have been safely cultivated and consumed worldwide for years.

He adds that biotech feed ingredients have a long history of safe use in animal nutrition globally since the products undergo  regulatory and scientific, scientists safety assessments before getting to the market.

These assessments examine nutritional content to ensure that genetically modified crops are substantially equivalent to their conventional counterparts. The nutritional value remains unchanged, with only the intended trait, such as pest or disease resistance, being introduced.

The major genetically modified crops used across the globe include soybeans, maize, canola, cotton and alfalfa. These crops are important ingredients in animal feed manufacturing.

Countries that have adopted genetically modified technology have recorded significant gains in agricultural productivity. For instance, maize yields in parts of the United States average about 50 bags per acre, compared with approximately 20 bags per acre in Kenya.

Stakeholders are optimistic that expanding access to high-yielding biotechnology crops could help close the productivity gap and increase the supply of raw materials for the animal feed industry.