Livestock breeders and feed makers want Parliament to remove the ban on genetically modified GMO products that are vital in the manufacture of animal feed to reduce the rising prices.
Five representatives of livestock breeders and animal feed manufacturers have petitioned MPs to investigate the high import costs and lift the ban.
The petitioners also want MPs to recommend immediate ban on wheat bran exports to stabilise the local animal feed market.
They also want the lawmakers to amend the Value Added Tax Act, 2013 and other relevant tax laws to remove tax on animal products.
My office is in receipt of a petition on an unprecedented rise in prices of animal feeds occasioned by policy goals that has resulted in high prices of Soyabean, sunflower and cotton.
The petitioners are also concerned about the unregulated importation of animal feed additives, Speaker Justin Muturi said.
He directed the Agriculture Committee to investigate immediately the issues raised by the livestock producers and investigate their concerns within the shortest time possible.
The cost of making animal feeds has been on the rise, forcing up to 20 manufacturers to close shop amid low demand from farmers due to pricing.
The cost of items such as soya meal, which is normally imported from countries like Malawi, Zambia and Uganda has gone up.
The 57 percent increase in the price of soya is the biggest in the last two years with the cost of production becoming unbearable to some millers who have had to shut their businesses as they cannot sustain the ever-rising cost of material.
The cost of animal feeds has subsequently gone up across all the meal types, which are now retailing at an average of Sh 100 more than the previous cost.
The cost of a 70 - kilogramme bag of chick mash has risen from Sh 3,250 to Sh 4,200.
This move has hit farmers as the price of eggs has so far dropped from a high of Sh 360 a tray early in the year to Sh 340.
This implies that the producers are struggling with lower margins, making it difficult to continue with the business.
MPs yesterday acknoledged the high costs of animal feeds arguing most millers cannot break even to pay their workers and keep on running their entities profitably.
The processors are also projecting that the cost of other major supplements such as sunflower cake, which is mainly imported from Tanzania and Uganda, will go up due to a weaker shilling against the dollar.