Kenya advances Juncao technology partnership to tackle livestock feed shortages

KENYA –  The State Department for Livestock Development on March 17 hosted Chinese scientist Lin Zhanxi and officials from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in Nairobi to advance a partnership to address Kenya’s livestock feed challenges through Juncao technology, a climate-resilient grass-based system for fodder and mushroom production.

The meeting, led by Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke at Kilimo House, comes as Kenya joins the third phase of the Juncao Project, expanding efforts to stabilise feed supply amid rising climate and cost pressures.

Short-term actions agreed include the establishment of a National Juncao Training and Innovation Centre at the Dairy Training Institute in Naivasha and the rollout of county-level demonstration sites to scale adoption. 

The programme will also train farmers, youth and extension officers in Juncao-based feed production while offering postgraduate scholarship opportunities in China through Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University.

The State Department, working with the Juncao Project and UN DESA, is also convening a national workshop in Nairobi from March 17 to 19 to promote the technology’s role in resilient food systems, poverty reduction and climate adaptation.

Feed cost and supply constraints

The initiative targets one of the most persistent bottlenecks in Kenya’s livestock sector: the high cost and inconsistent availability of quality feed.

Kenya’s livestock sector contributes roughly 12% to national GDP and supports millions of livelihoods, making feed security a critical priority.

Industry estimates place annual compound feed production at over 1 million metric tons, with demand expected to rise as urbanisation and protein consumption increase. 

However, supply remains constrained by structural challenges.

A key issue is the sector’s reliance on imported raw materials such as soybean meal and feed additives. 

Estimates suggest that 30–50% of key protein ingredients are sourced externally due to limited domestic production.

This dependence exposes feed manufacturers to global price volatility, exchange rate fluctuations and high logistics costs, while import duties and taxes on some inputs further increase the cost burden.

Feed accounts for 60–70% of total livestock production costs, and stakeholders estimate that removing import-related costs, including freight, duties and currency pressures, could reduce overall feed prices by 10–20%, depending on formulation and season.

Climate variability is another major factor. Recurrent droughts have reduced pasture availability and domestic feed crop yields, increasing dependence on commercial feed and imported inputs. 

This has widened the gap between supply and demand, particularly during dry seasons.

Recent investments have sought to address these constraints. 

Private sector players have expanded feed milling capacity and introduced alternative ingredients, such as insect protein and agro-processing by-products. 

Development partners have also supported programmes to improve forage production and the adoption of silage at the farm level.

The Juncao initiative adds a new dimension by promoting fast-growing grasses that can be cultivated in diverse ecological zones with relatively low inputs. 

For a country facing feed shortages and high input costs, it offers a locally producible, climate-resilient feed source that can reduce dependence on imported ingredients and stabilise livestock production.

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