Livestock players want more say in Sh500 billion sector

Players want to have more say in the lucrative livestock sector, which contributes about Sh564 billion to the national economy.

Farmers and other players have decried what they term as "blatant marginalisation" of the sector by the Government, and vowed to turn livestock keeping into a viable and vibrant economic activity. They were speaking during the launch of Extensive Livestock Expo 2015 which will be held in November 4 to 6 at the University of Nairobi.

The expo is expected to bring together exhibitors along the entire supply chain to create the commercial viability of livestock farming and increase investments in the sector.

Speaking during the media briefing, Member of Parliament Wajir West, Abbas Muhammed noted that in as much as the livestock sector, the main economic activity in the Arid and Semi-arid Lands (Asals), contributes close to 12 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) only 5 per cent is invested back on livestock.

Mr Muhammed challenged stakeholders in the industry to invest more in research and development to unlock the economic potential of the sector. He noted that while there have been extensive research on other sectors such as crop production; there has been little on livestock.

The sector has been beset by a number of challenges including lack of infrastructure. The sector has also had to deal with low production levels per animal due to poor breeds, inadequate nutrition and diseases. High cost of input and lack of affordable credit has also discouraged investment in the sector.

Cultural practices among some of the pastoralist communities have also conspired to ensure that the sector does not transition from being a social prestige to an economic activity.

“We must tell a livestock farmer that livestock is a business and not a prestige,” said Mr Muhammed.

He also noted that policies such as the Sessional Paper 10 of 1965, which contributed to the marginalisation of the Asals, is also to blame for the slump in the sector.

According to the Ministry of Livestock, Kenya has an estimated 4.2 million improved dairy animals, 10 million zebus, 27 million goats, and 2.9 million camels, which are the main sources of milk.

There is a need to invest more on value addition. According to the Wajir MP, every part of livestock is money. Livestock Principal Secretary Fred Segor noted that the country stands to earn billions if more focus was put in value addition.

“The sector has one of the longest value chains including; meat, apiculture, hides and skins, camels, and other emerging value chains,” he said, adding the sector has high potential to create employment and reduce poverty in the Asals where poverty is prevalent.

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