Marketing and value addition to poultry products, which farmers say has been very inconsistent, is one of the focal points during the talks.

According to Daily Nation, the policy seeks to come up with the best breeding methods to address the shortage of one day old chicks and encourage existing and up-coming hatcheries by providing a conducive business environment.

“The government will enhance the capacity of authorities mandated to approve importation of poultry and poultry products, enforce laid down regulations and legislation and reduce time taken in processing of the importation documents,” read the policy in part.

Director of Livestock development Julius Kiptarus said the government will initiate “aggressive marketing and look for ways to link the farmers directly with the various markets.

In the policy, the government also promises to increase financing to farmers. “The government will increase the budgetary allocation to poultry activities and facilitate investors in the entire poultry value chain,” said Mr Kiptarus in a speech he read on behalf of Livestock Development minister Mohamed Kuti.

Youth groups, community based organisations, cooperative societies will also benefit as they will get more credit advanced to them.

“A participatory monitoring and evaluation system will be established and institutionalised,” the policy further read.

Farmers attending the workshop called for the creation of a department to deal with poultry farming specifically as a way of tapping into the industry.

The workshop is being held at the Kenya Institute of Education in Nairobi.