Demand for poultry products is on the rise in Kenya driven by an emerging middle-class created in existing and new urban settlements as a result of Devolution. To feed the appetite, an estimated 1.5 million birds are slaughtered weekly from a population of some 35 million fowls being fed for meeting the increasing demand.
The development is opening massive employment opportunities, especially in the rural areas with huge untapped potential according to HPP Exhibitions which is organizing the Kenya Poultry Expo, planned for May 23-25 2023 at the Sarit Centre, Nairobi.
Exhibition manager Michelle Mwangi says contrary to popular belief only chicken is reared for commercial purposes, turkeys, geese, guinea fowls and the ‘infamous’ quail are delicacies in poultry farming. In the chicken category, 75 percent is indigenous chicken, 22 percent is broilers and layers and 1% is breeding stock.
Due to the high demand and resilience of the Kienyezi chicken, the market has seen a number of varieties led by the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Organization bred Improved Kienyeji, Kuroilers, Rainbow, Rooster Kenbro and Sasso among others.
While chicken is every farmers choice, Turkey earns more money and is the bird with rising demand at the consumer end, added Ms. Mwangi.
The shift to white meats due to health concerns has fueled a sharp increase in demand for poultry products necessitating the need for an exhibition to showcase the various birds rearing technologies and practices required for a successful venture”, said Ms. Mwangi. She added, “A growing retail sector with food branches, fast food outlets, and restaurants has created a readily available outlet for chicken and eggs completing the chain and fueling the demand”.
“We wish to bring together players in the poultry industry under one roof to give the country a chance to share the emerging technologies in the sector and to put the industry into perspective as a key player in the country’s economy, said Ms. Mwangi.
On the show will be the latest technologies and practices of poultry farming covering production, genetics, nutrition, feed, health but marketing, operations and cost management and other critical factors for successful investment in the sector.
HPP is the organizer of the world’s best flower show, IFTEX, an annual flower industry show that takes place in Nairobi.
