Kenya banks on new investment plan to cab feed and fodder crisis

Kenya is now banking on a new investment plan aimed at ending the perennial feed and fodder crisis.

The country has begun laying the foundation for a long-term solution to the crisis with a new focus on structured investments and youth involvement.

At a high-level breakfast hosted at a city hotel on Wednesday, stakeholders from across the livestock sector gathered to set the stage for the country’s first-ever Fodder Contracting and Investment Action, known as KeFFCIA 1.

The initiative is being led by the Kenya Feed and Fodder Alliance (KeFFA), in collaboration with the State Department for Livestock Development and supported by the African Union–InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) under the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) Project, with funding from the Gates Foundation.

The event, which drew commercial fodder producers, processors, financiers, insurers, and development partners, marks the beginning of a new approach to resolving Kenya’s national feed deficit, which currently stands at 30 million metric tonnes.

That deficit represents an investment opportunity estimated at $4.5 billion.

Speaking at the event, KeFFA President Tumal Olto made it clear that KeFFA intends to lead the charge, not just as a facilitator but as a fully engaged stakeholder.

“We are not just relying on external support. This alliance will be powered by our members, their ideas, their resources, and their commitment,” he said.

KeFFCIA 1, scheduled for June 25, will feature Kenya’s first national Fodder Deal Room.

The platform will bring together buyers, producers, and investors for direct negotiations and will highlight bankable projects, especially those led by youth and women.

KeFFA will also use the event to launch its five-year strategic plan (2025–2029), focused on structured contracting, inclusive financing, and improved aggregation across the value chain.

The strategy is closely aligned with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which has earmarked $1 billion for the livestock sector.

According to AU-IBAR Director Dr. Huyam Salih, the challenge goes beyond agriculture.

“Feed and fodder are essential to human development. They directly affect nutrition, rural jobs, and national stability,” she said.

Stakeholders said structured fodder systems represent not only an agricultural solution but a business opportunity.

With capital, technical support, and policy alignment now in place, KeFFA says the focus must shift to active participation — especially by youth looking for serious ventures in agribusiness.

KeFFCIA 1 is expected to play a critical role in this shift, turning fodder from a forgotten input into a major economic driver.

Prof Abdi Guliye, Advisor on Livestock and Rangeland Management at the Executive Office of the President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to feed security as a national priority under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

Guliye emphasised the need for structured investments and stronger public-private partnerships to stabilise the sector.