Kenya eyes meat exports on high global demand
With the rapid growth of the human population across the globe, the demand for meat and value-added products is expected to increase.
The tremendous growth, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-operatives, offers Kenya a platform to explore more opportunities in livestock production.
Amid expectations that the global population will hit the nine billion mark by 2050, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has called on livestock farmers to increase their output.
Addressing participants during the official opening of the second edition of the Kenya Meat Expo at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi on Wednesday, Mr Linturi cited the continuous demand for meat products, leather, and other products in the livestock value chain as additional proof of a sector with immense prospects.
Globally, 1.3 billion people depend on livestock for a livelihood.
Kenya’s meat industry has been growing over time as processed products fetch a lucrative market both locally and internationally, said Mr Linturi.
He urged livestock farmers to adopt modern technologies in processing as part of efforts to achieve industrialisation in the sector.
“We intend to do a total overhaul of the whole sector to align ourselves with global market standards, introducing insurance and off-take programmes in regions classified as arid and semi-arid lands, which contribute significantly to Kenya’s meat output,” he said.
Sammy Waweru | Business Daily Africa
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