Market News

Farmers earn Sh84bn from sale of livestock

livestock

Pastoralists at a livestock market in Laikipia. file PHOTO | NMG

Farmers earned Sh84 billion from the sale of cattle, sheep and goats in 2016 indicating the importance of livestock in the economy.

The 28.3 per cent rise from Sh66 billion in 2015 reflects gains made from increased investments in the sector across the value chain from dairy enterprises, feeds manufacturing, cattle keeping as well as increased access to markets according to the State.

The statistics released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) show that in 2016, the number of cattle slaughtered increased by 8.2 per cent to 2.4 million with the number of goats and sheep slaughtered increasing from 6.5 million to 8 8.2 million representing a 25.3 per cent rise.

Sale of live chicken, poultry meat and eggs earned farmers Sh8.8 billion up from Sh6 billion as the market expand in tandem with the level of disposable incomes among Kenyans living in urban areas.

This has seen demand for animal feeds increase with the Association of Kenya Animal Feeds Manufacturers (Akifema) saying in 2015 demand for dairy feeds grew by 27 per cent, pig feeds 8 per cent while poultry stood at 64 per cent.

The feed industry, said Akifema, saw new provender millers, oilseed millers and feed premix suppliers licensed to supply raw materials to feed manufacturers.

The livestock sector has also enjoyed robust growth in the dairy industry where farmers earned Sh23 billion from the sale of 452 million litres to processors.