New animal feed plant opens in Kenya to cut imports

A Dutch animal nutrition group has completed construction of a new animal feed manufacturing plant in Athi River, Machakos County, Kenya, with official commissioning scheduled for mid February. The project took about a year to complete and represents an investment of around 3 billion shillings. The facility has an initial annual production capacity of 200,000 tonnes, with potential expansion to 260,000 tonnes, and will source key raw materials such as maize and soybeans from local farmers.

The plant will produce a range of standard and specialised feeds for poultry, pigs, ruminants and aquaculture. By manufacturing locally, the company aims to ensure a reliable supply of high quality feed, reduce dependence on imports and address persistent quality challenges in the market, supporting improved productivity and profitability for livestock producers.

The investment comes as Kenya’s domestic feed industry continues to fall short of demand, currently supplying less than half of national requirements. With an estimated annual feed deficit of more than 30 million tonnes, the new facility is expected to help replace part of imported supply, particularly in the poultry sector, which remains the country’s largest livestock segment.