Reducing the cost of livestock feeds in Kenya: Policy options and recommendations

The key constraints to Kenya’s livestock feed sector are technical challenges (such as low yields, poor equipment, inadequate research, and post-harvest losses), which are compounded by market issues, including fragmented supply chains and poor infrastructure.

On the policy front, high import duties, weak enforcement of feed quality standards and insufficient incentives for local production further exacerbate the high cost of feeds.

A new policy brief (July 2025), based on expert review of existing knowledge, recommends a range of interventions to address the above challenges.

The authors are affiliated with Egerton University, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, the University of Nairobi and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

ILRI scientists Joseph Karugia, Ben Lukuyu and James Rao are among the co-authors.

The policy brief is an output of the CGIAR Policy Innovations Science Program.

Citation

Gachuiri, C.K., Lang’at, J., Lukuyu, M., Mwangi, D., Karugia, J., Lukuyu, B., Rao, J. and Rabar, B. 2025. Reducing the cost of livestock feeds in Kenya: Policy options and recommendations. ILRI Policy Brief 50. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.

Photo: A Kenyan farmer feeds her dairy cow with Brachiaria grass (credit: ILRI/Muthoni Njiru)

Curated by Tezira Lore, Communication Officer, ILRI