Meat prices hit record high in January on reduced supplies

Beef prices hit a record high of Sh431 per kilogramme in January on reduced supplies tied to drought as households kept to vegetables.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data show a kilogramme of beef with bones increased 7.2 per cent on average compared to the Sh402 it retailed in the same month of 2017.

Last year, dealers in Dagoretti, Limuru and Kitengela abattoirs cited scarcity of cattle for the price increase as well as a rise in demand.

During the year, the death of livestock was rampant in major cattle-producing areas following poor rainfall and drought that left about 1.3 million people in need of food aid.

The KNBS data shows beef price on average crossed the Sh400 mark for the first time in 2016, having grown from Sh397 in 2015, Sh386 in 2014 and Sh328 in Sh2012.

READ: Beef price increase slows down as demand for red meat rises

Compared to previous years, beef prices grew at the slowest pace in 2016 amid health concerns associated with red meat with studies indicating excessive consumption could cause chronic conditions such as heart disease.

Though consumed in small quantities, demand for white meat has continued to grow as doctors consider it healthier than the red meat.

Meat is normally consumed with vegetable in most households. The KNBS data shows suku-wiki maintained an average retail price of Sh48 per while cabbages shed 46 per cent to retail at Sh38 per kg compared to the Sh72 they retailed at in January 2017.