A beneficiary showcasing the BSF larvae stage

For many years, the cost of commercial feeds for poultry and pig farming has been increasing, discouraging farmers from investing in these ventures. Kenyan farmers have traditionally used soybean and fishmeal as protein sources for their animals. However, these protein sources are costly for smallholder farmers.

Currently Kenya does not produce enough quantities of soybean, and limited local supply necessitates importation, often making the commodity unaffordable, especially for small-scale farmers. Similarly, fishmeal is becoming an unreliable protein source due to increasing market competition, overfishing, and traders often mixing supplies with sand to increase their profit margins.

Finding a feed alternative was essential for Bilha Akoko and 15 of her fellow farmers in the Kings World Self-Help group. FAO’s introduction of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae as an alternative way to get high-quality and cost-cutting feed was a turning point for these farmers. According to Bilha, BSF is a more sustainable and affordable source of protein for their poultry, pigs, fish and fingerlings.

Based in Siaya County Bondo sub-County, the group is using brewer’s organic waste supplied by the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), as well as food and organic waste collected from local markets in neighboring Kisumu and Siaya Counties to breed the fast-growing protein rich BSF larvae into animal feed.

Bilha reflects on how the project, which started in December 2022, has transformed her life and the lives of her fellow group members. She recounts that the project's production began four months ago, and since then, they have sold 200 kilograms of black soldier flies to pig farmers in the area.

"In August, we sold 200 kilograms of wet larvae to the pig farmers. We are not drying them yet because we need specialised drying equipment, which is quite expensive," says Bilha. She adds that part of the larvae that remained after the sale was used to recycle their production.

Her group’s long-term objective is to stabilise the production of BSF larvae before investing in their fish feed production, where the BSF larvae will be the primary protein source. 

Of the 15 members, eight are youths, while the rest are above 35 years. Their varying ages notwithstanding, the group continues to dedicate their time to transform the venture into a massive project in a year.

As the group’s chairperson, Bilha notes that despite the potential benefits they have seen, there were several challenges they have faced since they commenced the project. “Last month, we were affected by parasitoid; we had so much pupa, but the parasitoid infected them, so they were unable to hatch into flies,"

She adds that breaking down the waste is another challenge, especially food waste. “We need to break down our waste from the markets into liquid form so that the larvae can consume it, "she notes.

In addition, Bilha noted the need to acquire a grinder for grinding the waste into smaller pieces. “When the food waste is cut into pieces manually, some larvae are unable to eat them due to the large sizes, hence impeding the growth process".

Black Soldier Flies

Black soldier flies are a widespread fly renowned as one of the insect kingdom's most efficient waste recyclers. Studies have shown that BSF larvae contain 35 to 45 per cent of protein and can be used to feed poultry, fish, and livestock, while the insect frass (excrement) can be used as organic fertilizer. For instance, chicken fed on the larvae can weigh up to five kilos on maturity compared to those reared on commercial feeds weighing 3.5 kilos on average.

FAO support to the youth group.

The group was formed to leverage the then newly introduced cage farming technology. Open lake fishing yielded declining catches, and fish cage farming provided an opportunity to earn income from the fish. Cage fish farming has been profitable, and the Kings World group has made substantial investments in the aquaculture enterprise.

However, the high cost of feed for the caged fish, fingerlings, pigs, and poultry is affecting their profitability hence the need for BSF as an alternative protein ingredient to reduce the cost of feeds. However, unlike poultry, the BSF cannot be fed to tilapia fish directly; it needs to be processed and included in a feed formulation in pellet form.

Bilha, in her final remarks reports the tremendous and positive progress the project has made despite the small challenges they are facing. She projects that with acquisition of drying equipment for the larvae, they will have sufficient feeds for fingerlings thus reducing on the cost of feeds and improving the fish harvest.

About the Livestock Feeds Commercialization Project (LFCP)

Funded by The Mastercard Foundation, the Livestock Feeds Commercialization Project’s overall objective is to promote the feed subsector's sustainable development by developing and promoting business models that increase productivity, value addition, market access, utilization, and income in the feed industry. The interventions are focused on adaptation and resilience and are underpinned by advocating for enabling and aligned sector policies that lower entry barriers and stimulate public and private investments.

For more information contact:

Pauline Akolo

Communication Specialist

Email – [email protected]