New De Heus feed plant promises affordable, quality feed for Kenyan livestock farmers
By Sandra Neddy
Livestock farmers across Kenya are expected to benefit from improved access to quality, consistent and affordable animal feed following the opening of a new Ksh 3 billion animal feed manufacturing plant in Athi River this month.
Global animal nutrition company De Heus Kenya will officially launch the facility on February 18, 2026, marking one of the largest private-sector investments in Kenya’s livestock and agribusiness sector in recent years. The project is expected to transform feed production in the country and address long-standing challenges that farmers have face including high feed costs and inconsistent quality.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Wiehan Visagie, the Managing Director of De Heus Kenya, said that the facility focuses on addressing challenges in feed quality, affordability and supply reliability for livestock farmers and reflects a long-term commitment to Kenya’s agricultural transformation.
“This factory is about building reliable systems for farmers,” said Visagie. “By manufacturing feed locally, we are addressing long-standing challenges such as inconsistent quality and dependence on imports, while supporting farmers to improve productivity and profitability,” he added.
The Athi River facility will have an annual production capacity of 200,000 metric tonnes, with plans for expansion to 260,000 metric tonnes in the future thereby positioning it among the largest animal feed manufacturing plants in East Africa.The plant will produce a wide range of animal nutrition products including compound feeds, premixes, concentrates and specialty feeds for poultry, pigs, ruminants and aquaculture. These products are expected to help farmers improve animal health, increase productivity and achieve more stable farm incomes.
Kenya’s livestock sector contributes approximately 12 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and supports millions of livelihoods. However, productivity has remained below its potential due to high input costs with feed alone accounting for up to 70 of total livestock production expenses.
According to a 2025 policy brief by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Kenya’s livestock sector is vital to the country’s economy, contributing approximately 3.8% of GDP and 17.3% of agricultural value. However, high feed costs limit productivity and sustainability. The country produces 46 million metric tonnes of animal feed annually, falling short of the 55 million MT needed, with actual deficits reaching 30 million MT (60%) due to competition with human food and post-harvest losses. Imports partly fill the gap but are expensive due to taxes and global market prices, while cheaper alternatives like GMOs are banned resulting in high costs and unmet feed demand.
By producing feed locally, De Heus Kenya aims to shorten supply chains, improve product traceability and tailor nutrition solutions to suit Kenyan farming systems. This is expected to help farmers achieve more predictable production outcomes while reducing their exposure to global supply disruptions.
Beyond manufacturing, the company also plans to support farmers through technical advisory services focusing on feed utilisation, ration formulation and animal nutrition management. These services are aimed at helping farmers translate improved feed quality into measurable productivity gains.
The facility is also expected to create approximately 250 direct jobs and up to 1,000 indirect employment opportunities across transport, logistics, packaging, distribution, and raw material supply chains.Additionally, crop farmers are also set to benefit as the company plans to source key raw materials such as maize and soybeans locally, creating reliable market opportunities and boosting rural incomes.
The launch ceremony is expected to be attended by Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and Industry Principal Secretary Dr. Juma Mukhwana alongside government officials, industry stakeholders, farmers and development partners.