POULTRY FARMERS BEMOAN ESCALATING FEED PRICES

POULTRY Association of Zambia (PAZ) Executive Director Dominic Chanda has attributed the rise in feed prices to the short supply of maize in Lusaka.

Mr. Chanda told The Scoop that maize was currently fetching for around K9 from K5.80 per kilogram and that this had been pushed by the forces of supply which has had a knock-on effect on the price.

He said that any movement in the Kwacha-Dollar rate tends to affect the dollar-based inputs in the industry, leading to the ultimate final product price for feed to rise.

He explained that this was evidenced by the 10 to 15 percent adjustment in feed prices from December to date due to the anchor of input cost, due to the Kwacha losing value over time.

“We have to live with reality as farmers by nature are price takers and need to take any price that comes but the problem tends to affect the consumer who has the final say and a lot of alternatives,” Mr. Chanda said.

He noted that passing on the cost to the consumers was tricky as they usually had challenges with adjusting to new pricing.

“In this period where prices of feed are going up, the end result is minimal movement in prices of chickens contrary to eggs as local trading is not so costly,” he stated.

He said that it was deliberate that his Association always ensured room and platform to adjust prices because the business market was always changing.