NOEL IYOMBWA writes
THE rise in the price of chicken feed is due to the increase in the price of soya beans and maize brand, the main raw materials, says the Poultry Association of Zambia (PAZ).
Association executive director Dominic Chanda said that the price of chicken feed has increased to 40 per cent from last year.
In an interview Mr Chanda said that the rise in price of soya beans and maize brand and the closure of Cargill plant had greatly contributed to the rise in chicken feed price.
Mr. Chanda however said that despite the increase in the cost of feed, the price for the commodity was stable
He said the price of a tray of eggs has only increased by K1 which was not enough to cater for the price of feed, while that of the chicken has not gone up.
“This is a discouragement to the poultry farmer because the price of feed is high compared to the product.
“And the closure of Cargill oil plant has also contributed to the situation because there was no soya cake while demand for it is high,” he said.
He however said that there were some farmers formulating their own feed but due to shortage of ingredients on the market it had become difficult for them to produce feed.