State to establish 450 feedlots to address feed shortage in ASAL counties

SADIK HASSAN-KNA 

The State Department for Livestock is establishing 450 feedlots across 21 arid and semi arid counties as the country grapples with a 60 per cent deficit in feed. 

This deficit arises because the livestock sub-sector faces challenges related to feed affordability, availability, and quality, according to Mr. Bishar Elmi, the Director of Livestock Production in the State Department for Livestock. 

“As a nation, we have a 60 percent feed deficit. In terms of livestock herd size, Kenya ranks third on the continent, yet we are not exporting the much-needed red meat,” he stated. 

This situation poses a significant challenge to meeting the future nutritional needs of the country’s ever-increasing population, which will require livestock as a source of protein, even as there is a shortage of feed, he said. 

Other major challenges County. in the sector include animal genetics, breeding, and dis ease control. The director noted that nomadic pastoralism can only be sustainable if combined with modern farming practices. 

“We want to establish 450 feedlots in 21 ASAL counties. The purpose of this initiative is to off-take livestock from pastoralists, bring them to the feedlots, fatten and treat them for three months, and then sell them,” Mr. Elmi explained. 

The feedlots will have pasture lands to help bridge the feed deficit. Three feed lots have already been set up in Chemogoch in Baringo County, Wajir West, and Kibiru in Meru County, which is close to an abattoir in the neighboring Isiolo.

“In the pipeline, we have four more in Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, and Isiolo. We aim to complete these before the end of this year,” he said. 

The government also plans to roll out a commercial livestock breeding program and a national vaccination program to curb trans-boundary diseases, he added. 

Additionally, it will sensitize farmers to commercialize and add value to livestock production to boost income. 

“We can no longer keep animals for prestige. Once you commercialize, you can produce high-quality animals that meet local and global market demands,” the Livestock Director stated. 

The market is readily available in the country, as the annual consumption demand for red meat is 600,000 metric tons, compared to a production of 400,500 metric tons. 

The per capita consumption of red meat stands at 14 kilo grams, he noted. The country is doing well in milk production, and the dairy sector is vibrant and robust. 

The Animal Production Professionals and Technicians Bill (APPT) 2023 is undergoing thorough public participation before being tabled in the National Assembly, Mr. Elmi said.

 The draft bill will provide a legal framework for the training, regulation, and licensing of livestock pro duction professionals and technicians, aiming to bring order to the animal production sector. 

The Director of Livestock also opened the first Grass land and Rangeland Society of Kenya (GRASK) annual conference in Mombasa, themed “Enhancing Com munity Resilience and Productivity of Grassland and Rangeland Ecosystems to Achieve Food Security.” 

The two-day conference highlighted sustain able practices in managing grassland and rangeland ecosystems, improving live stock production systems, addressing climate change, and promoting food security in dryland areas. 

It emphasized the roles of technology, policy, and inclusivity in agriculture, aiming to support both ecological sustainability and economic resilience for communities reliant on these ecosystems.