Dual-purpose cattle to be introduced in Kenya

Efforts by a German firm to penetrate the African cattle market with its exotic breeds will bear fruit mid next month with the introduction of a dual purpose breed in Kenya.

Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics (BFG) — will make Kenya the third African market for the cattle breed known for its high quality beef and milk production capacity of up to 10,000 litres per lactation season. BFG had earlier introduced the breed in the South African and Namibian markets.

According to Gerard Besseling, the Managing Director of Fleckvieh EA, the company intends to crossbreed the cattle with other locally available exotic breeds like Holstein- Friesian, Ayshire and Jersey.

Indigenous species like Boran will also be crossbred to replicate the high production, fertility and disease resistance qualities.

Dr Thomas Grupp, BFG’s CEO, is expected in the country in the next few days to lead presentations showcasing the first Fleckvieh breeds during this year’s Brookside Livestock Breeders Show and Sale (BLBS), to be held from June 10- 12.

International acclaim
According to the BLBS chairman Ms Mary Nevill, many other internationally acclaimed breeds will take part at this year’s event.

On Wednesday, a Brookside Dairy General Manager Mr John Gethi, said milk processors in the country have been forced to step up campaigns aimed at addressing the current production shortfall.

The firm has spent Sh13 million to sponsor this show and sale event. The economic Survey 2009 attributes the 6.1 per cent drop in value of marketed milk last year to lower milk production by farmers.

“Farmers are still recovering from the effects of last year’s post-election violence and we have to create a forum to guide them through the process of restocking and show them new methods of increasing their output to match the rising cost of production,” he said.

According to Mr Gethi, the rising cost of production is also behind the frequent upward adjustment in the cost of milk.

For instance, the cost of maize, which was selling at Sh1,300 per 90 kilo bag has risen more than two fold to the current market price of Sh3,000.