Escalating Feed Prices in Zambia's Poultry Industry

One of Zambia's prominent feed stores has recently implemented a price hike, impacting the cost of feed by approximately K75, marking a 15 percent increase from K520 to around K595, effective February 19, 2024. This development is poised to ripple through the poultry market, potentially driving up broiler chicken prices in tandem with the escalated feed costs.

As per pricelist obtained from Farmfeed Limited, retail prices for standard broiler starter feed have surged by 15 percent. Additionally, standard grower feed prices have climbed by K52, rising from K515 to K567, reflecting a 10 percent increment. The standard broiler finisher feed has also experienced an uptick of K40, ascending from K510 to K550, signaling an approximately 8 percent increase.

Similarly, value broiler feed variants have observed parallel escalations. Value broiler starter, grower, and finisher feeds have each seen a rise of K40, elevating their prices from K510 to K550, K495 to K534, and K470 to K540, respectively. 

The surge extends to specialized feeds as well. Broiler Grower Concentrate has surged by K120, soaring from K515 to K635, marking a notable 23 percent uptick. Correspondingly, the broiler finisher concentrate has ascended by K115, progressing from K510 to K625, representing a 22 percent price surge.

Furthermore, village chicken feed prices have also undergone revisions. A K70 increase from K450 to K520 has been noted for village chicken finisher feed, implying an uptick of about 15 percent. The village chicken grower feed has seen a K50 increment, rising from K460 to K510. Meanwhile, village chicken starter feed prices have surged by K30, ascending from K470 to K500, while free-range feed prices have risen by K45, surging from K210 to K255.

The repercussions of these feed price hikes extend beyond immediate cost implications. Such increases are poised to reverberate throughout the poultry industry, potentially leading farmers to transfer the augmented expenses to consumers, consequently driving up broiler and village chicken prices. The ensuing rise in product costs may induce a decline in consumer demand, thereby adversely affecting the poultry industry at large.

Moreover, the escalated feed costs may engender amplified production expenses for poultry farmers, potentially compressing profit margins. This, in turn, may trigger a downtrend in investment within the sector and a contraction in the number of operational poultry farms across the nation. Thus, the recent surge in feed prices underscores the imperative for strategic measures to mitigate its adverse impacts on the poultry industry's sustainability and viability.