LOCALLY PRODUCED FEED COULD BE 50% LESS IN COST Says Cees Laros

Abdoulie G. Dibba Mr. Cees Laros, a Gambia based Dutch national, told Farmers’ Eye that a locally produced chicken feed could be 50 percent less in cost compared to the imported one. Mr. Laros said this in an interview with the Columnist at the Foroyaa office on Monday, 18 August, 2014. He said what are needed to produce chicken feed are premix, maize, wheat, rice or coos and oyster shell and which apart from the first ingredient (the premix) are all available in the Gambia. He said a complete imported chicken feed costs D1500 per 50kg bag, while a similar complete chicken feed with 75 percent locally produced ingredients will only cost D780 per 50kg bag. Mr. Laros gave the following breakdown for the cost of a complete feed using locally available ingredients. He concluded that producing chicken feed in the Gambia would enhance the income of the farming communities as the local ingredients are purchased from them and the cost of chicken would also be reduced. Below is the list and cost of ingredients needed to produce chicken feed.   Cost for complete feed with all possible locally available ingredient.