<br>Egg prices rise amid shortage

The price of eggs has gone up in cities and major cities as the country faces an acute shortage of the usually cheap alternative source of protein. 



Many Kenyans are now forced to part with Sh320 to Sh340 for the smaller crate that carries 15 eggs. The price of a 30-egg crate ranges from Sh460 to Sh600. An egg at small retail shops is ranging between Sh15 and Sh20.&nbsp;



Paul Wabaka, an egg supplier in the counties in the Western region said that nowadays he prefers getting eggs from Nairobi than in Kampala.&nbsp;







“We are selling a crate of eggs at Sh450. Because of the increased prices of eggs from Uganda, I have been forced to order eggs from Nairobi,” said Mr Wakaba.&nbsp;



Poultry experts have attributed the sharp rise in prices of eggs in the country to scarcity in production due to the rising cost of feeds and high demand.&nbsp;



Usomi Agriculture CEO and senior researcher in animal science Dr Denis Mujibi told the&nbsp;Nation&nbsp;there’s a shortage of eggs in Kisumu and other major towns.&nbsp;



“Currently, the eggs that are in Nairobi are coming from Uganda and Tanzania. It has become expensive for farmers in Kenya to produce eggs due to the high cost of feeds,” said Dr Mujibi.&nbsp;



Uganda flow



Kamsa Poultry Farm director Steve Sande said the fluctuation of egg prices in Kisumu is determined by the flow of eggs from Uganda.&nbsp;



“When Ugandan eggs flood the market, definitely, the prices go down and when they are scarce in the Kisumu markets, the prices increase,” said Mr Sande.&nbsp;



Kenya Poultry Farmers director Ronnie Hezron, who supplies eggs to retailers in the Western region, said that a number of small-scale farmers have stopped keeping layers due to the high-cost feeds.



“These could have resulted in a scarcity of egg production among farmers. Likewise, a number of NGOs (non-governmental organisations) nowadays are pushing for farmers to keep poultry for meat production rather than eggs,” he said.



Last year poultry farmers were paying Sh2,700 for a 50kg bag of feed, but this has shot up to Sh3,300. The Russia-Ukraine war, which has impacted the supply of grain—a key component in animal feeds—has been linked to the high feed prices.



Kisumu County Agriculture executive Kennedy Onyango said that a surge in the cost of chicken feeds is forcing poultry farmers to scale down their stocks, resulting in an increase in egg prices.&nbsp;



The increase in the cost of feeds has pushed some farmers to resort to cheaper feeds, which has reduced production.&nbsp;



Already, hoteliers and bakers are feeling the pinch of the high prices.



Joventure Hotel manager Kennedy Omondi said the prices of eggs have had implications on the cost of breakfast.&nbsp;



Ufanisi Resort, Kisii manager Maurice Odhiambo says the hotel has resorted to keeping layers to ease the scarcity.



“The shortage is already being felt in Kisii. We are keeping layers but the price of poultry feed is too expensive,” said Mr Odhiambo.



Courtesy