Chickens on credit

Besides seed and fertilizer small farmers in western Kenya are now also able to buy chickens on credit via Agrics, one of ICS' social businesses. Agrics set up a chicken farm nearby Kakamega, a few months ago. At this moment around 4.500 hatchlings are squawking in four different sheds. The Agrics farmers keep the chicks for the meat as well as the eggs. The hatchlings are delivered together with information on care, nutrition and accommodation. This ensures farmers food for their families and an income, also outside the harvest season.

Chickens are popular, in Kenya mainly. A so called 'kuku package' consists of 20 hatchlings, 60 kilos of food, a huge piece of net that can be used as fencing, transportation and training, so that every farmer knows exactly how to take care of its chickens. Last year already 217 farmers bought 1.135 chickens in total. The farm will be increased with even more hatchlings and an incubator this year.