The National Treasury has allocated Ksh29 billion to the State Department of Agriculture to enhance food security and implement agricultural policies in line with the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
According to the 2024/25 Estimates of Development Expenditure, 54 million will be used to breed improved indigenous chicken for the production of quality products in the market.
The Ministry will award the amount as capital grants to State Agencies and other levels of government to spearhead the initiative.
The indigenous chickens popularly known as kienyeji are a cross-breed of different chickens to produce more meat and eggs.
The crossbreed is known for maturing faster and attaining market weight at a quicker pace.
At the same time, the government set aside Ksh50 million to equip milk research and processing plants in the current financial year.
This will be boosted by a Ksh8.6 million in the 2024/25 financial year beginning in July.
Most farmers will prefer improved indigenous chickens for their high survival rate in harsh environments, ability to survive on little feeding and nutrient-rich droppings that can be used as fertiliser.
The animals can also be fetched at an affordable price as a three-day-old chick can be bought at an average price of Ksh100.
Agriculture plays a pivotal role in sustaining livelihoods across the country and driving economic growth and hence the government spends billions to ensure farmers are well-equipped to produce quality products amid challenging environmental conditions.
Director General Eliud Kireger of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), a state corporation tasked with providing solutions to agricultural challenges, recently noted that the government has established a feed processing unit and increased hatchery capacity for 1.7 million improved indigenous chicken.
"We will be sourcing funding from the allocation from the National Government, Grants and Contributions from Development Partners, Private Sector Partnerships, through Collaborative projects and also internally Generated Revenue," he stated during the launch of the KALRO Second Strategic Plan in April 2024.
