Kenya is eyeing the European Union market beef market with hopes that a new vaccine launched in the country will improve animal husbandry.
The vaccine will be able to control foot and mouth disease and eventually enable beef and animal products from the country to enter into the highly regulated EU market for the first time.
The EU had banned the importation of Kenyan beef due to food safety concerns as a result of livestock diseases especially from the arid and semi arid areas which contribute about 60 per cent of the meat market in the country.
Agriculture Cabinet secretary Willy Bett said Kenya earns substantial foreign exchange through export of live animals, meat, hides and skins, dairy products and processed pork products.
The Kenya Meat Commission exports an average of 500 tonnes of fresh and frozen meat products of goat and lamb every week to United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Uganda.
The total value of marketed livestock and related products grew by 22 per cent to Sh55.3 billion in the year 2010 compared to Sh45.1 billion a year earlier.
“It also employs about 50 per cent of the county’s agricultural sector labour force and contributes substantial earnings to households through sale of livestock and livestock products, and provides raw materials for agro based industries,” Bett said.
The population and housing census revealed a massive livestock resource of 3.4 million exotic cattle, 14.1 million indigenous cattle, 17.1 million sheep, 27.7 million goats, 2.9 million camels, 25.8 million indigenous, chicken ans 6.1 million exotic chicken.
Speaking on Wednesday during the launch of the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute’s re-aligned strategic plan for the period 2013-2017 at the office in Nairobi, he said the sector contributes 12 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and accounts for nearly half of the agricultural sector’s GDP. It accounts for 90 per cent employment in the ASALs and more than 95 percent of family incomes.
According to the Kevevapi acting chief executive officer, Jane Wachira, Kenyan beef and live animals have always been restricted to enter the EU market because the foot and mouth disease is endemic in Kenya.
“After three years of trial and testing, the country has now joined the league of nations that are considered capable of controlling the deadly foot and mouth disease which is a trans-boundary disease. In addition beef animals will get the right weight for the market meaning better returns for the farmers,” said Wachira.