KENYA – Construction of a new US$0.2 million state-of-the-art chicken slaughter facility has been initiated in Trans Nzoia County, which is one of the leading food basket regions in Kenya.
The facility will be managed by Trans Queens and Kings cooperative society, a Kenyan local chicken farmers’ Cooperative Society in the county.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Trans Nzoia Governor, George Natembeya, expressed his optimism that farmers will benefit significantly from the facility.
“The facility will boost membership in producer organizations, generate employment opportunities, and ultimately increase income for farmers while generating profits for producer organizations and market outlets,” he added.
He also emphasized that the facility will lead to an upsurge in the number of aggregated, slaughtered, and marketed chicken in the county.
“The abattoir will have a processing capacity of 1,600 chickens per day and a grant of US$142,157.94 will be granted to the cooperative society to aid in the establishment of the facility,” the governor announced.
Governor Natembeya urged residents to engage in indigenous chicken rearing, emphasizing that the success of the facility hinges on local demand rather than relying on other counties.
He also highlighted that his administration is dedicated to reducing animal feed costs to maximize farmers’ profits.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of leveraging veterinary officers’ expertise to maintain standards and ensure the quality of animal products.
“I appreciate my administration for their commitment to generating employment opportunities for the youths, I therefore encourage residents to join cooperative societies to bolster bargaining powers and strengthen the market,” he underscored.
According to the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP), the local chicken value chain is a priority for support in Trans Nzoia County.
The local chicken value chain plays a pivotal role in the county, providing livelihoods for numerous smallholder farmers
County Agriculture CEC Phanice Khatundi also added the county is committed to boosting the production of livestock products.
Meanwhile, about 50 million birds are slaughtered in Kenya annually, with 92.6% of the population frequently eating chicken, reports the FAO.
The organisation also reported that at least 45 million Kenyans frequently consume chicken, with 27.6% of the total population eating a meal with chicken weekly.
