Farmers Conned By A Thika-Based Feeds Company.

A Thika-Based prominent animal feeds manufacturer has duped a group of unsuspecting farmers of their hard-earned cash into entering a dubious contractual poultry farming scheme deal that never was.

It was envisaged that the farmers would buy day-old chicks from this dealer and in return he would cater for their feeds, bear the labour cost, veterinary services including the medication and later buy the mature chicken from the farmers.

Some of the victims who spoke to Thika Town Today explained how they lost hundred thousands of Kenya shillings in the deal.

Teresia Wanjiku, a farmer from Ngong Region, explained how she heard an advertisement over a local vernacular radio station. According to the advert, HighRise Feeds Manufacturers from Thika were offering contractual poultry farming opportunities, a deal that was so tempting since it seemed very viable.

She visited the place, accompanied by a friend to find out more about the deal. The information they got on arrival fully convinced them that this was a profitable venture.

“I immediately ordered 4, 500 chicks at cost of Shs.55 each, translating to Shs.247, 500. However, only 3, 000 chicks were actually delivered,” said Wanjiku.

“I was shocked to receive only one sack of feeds when the chicks were supplied. They assured me that the balance of my consignment would be brought the following day but none has been delivered one week later.”

She now claims to have incurred huge losses as the chicks are eating a sack per day at a cost of Shs.3, 300 each and will rise to Shs.9, 900 in two weeks as the chicks will be consuming three sacks per day.

Another farmer, Anne Wanjiru, claims to have ordered for 1, 000 chicks which were also supplied with only one sack of feeds. She has never been supplied with any more feeds nor medication.  

She laments that the chicks are of poor breed, arguing that upon delivery, five of them had already died. Currently, she has already lost 40 chicks.

She alleged that according to the deal, they were supposed to earn Shs.130 profit per chic after maturity. Now that remains a pipe dream since they are not even sure if the supplier will even come to buy the mature birds.

“We suspect that the supplier is disposing off these chicks to unsuspecting farmers like us. We spent the whole day here asking for the feeds. No one has attended us. Whenever we call this Mburu Kimani, the perceived company owner, he has been so rude to us,” lamented Wanjiru.

Kimani first gave the excuse that there had been some delays in the supply since the feeds were being collected from Nyeri. The story later changed as they were told the feeds are being collected from Naivasha.

His phone later went off, leaving them stranded and confused. Since then, the company contacts have been evading the farmers and not answering their phones.

The farmers are now appealing to the authorities to help them get this man so as to ensure he honours his part of the bargain. Otherwise, they want him to refund their money if that doesn’t happen as they cannot continue running into losses.

Efforts to reach the owner of the feeds company were futile as he did not answer our calls.