Sahiwal herd cattle at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Dairy Research Institute. Livestock turnover in Kenya has grown in the recent past due to the increase in products consumption. Photo KALRO.

Kenyans’ growing appetite for meat and dairy products has shot up the country’s livestock turnover from US $1.34bn of 2017 to US $1.44bn in 2018.

The turnover increase has also been attributed to the support of private and county government value chains in the sector according to the 2019 Economic Survey by Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

Statistics by KNBS indicates that 2.78m cows and calves were slaughtered in 2018 translating to 7.4 per cent higher than 2.59m cows in 2017 which also saw 10.2m sheep and goats slaughtered representing 11.3 per cent increase.

This is represented an 11.3 per cent rise from the 9.2m sold to abattoirs in major cities.

RELATED ARTICLE: Government to create new policy to develop a National Livestock sector

The growing sector has continued to attract formation of small-scale farmer co-operatives that increased by 20.2 per cent.

These co-operatives collect milk from local farmers for onward direct sales to milk processors and raised deliveries from 535.7m litres in 2017 to 634.3m in 2018.

Drawing from the 2019 Economic Survey by Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS); Quantities of milk and cream processed increased by 10.6 per cent from 410.6m litres in 2017 to 454.1m litres in 2018.

RELATED ARTICLE: Kenya livestock sector earns big exporting live animals to Middle East

Also on the rise is pork consumption especially the country’s major towns and their environs as well as meat processing plants.

Pig sales recorded a 7.8 per cent rise where 388,200 pigs were slaughtered in 2018 compared to 360,100 in 2017.

The survey also project 2019 to be a game changer with county governments actualizing their investments in dairy processing plants to increase farmer prices based on milk sales.

RELATED ARTICLE: US Government grants Sh4.5bn to fund Livestock Market Systems program in Northen Kenya