For example, the arid and semi-arid parts of the country have been the prime source of meat, particularly in urban areas including Nairobi, Nakuru, and Mombasa. Domestic animals such as cows, goats, and camels, thrive in these areas and are a source of livelihood for most families. The communities in these areas also take pride in animal keeping and have a cultural attachment to their ownership. The cultural fondness and suitability of the land for some of these animals present an excellent potential for animal product-related industries to thrive.
In most instances, the journey from the grazing ground to the dinner table is long and strenuous, leading to the increased cost of the final product. It starts with individual entrepreneurs, such as traders, who traverse these regions buying the animals from the owners, and once they have enough stock, they transport the live animals in lorries to the abattoirs in urban areas with big markets such as Nairobi, where the animals are butchered and the meat sold to distributors who in turn sell to retailers. This transportation of live animals presents additional costs and risks, such as the cost of feeding the animals or an animal dying on the way.
With a shift to value addition, the traders and cattle owners could pool resources together or attract a strategic partner to establish abattoirs in the respective areas, and they can then package the various animal products, e.g., meat, hides, hoofs, horns, and skins, and transport them to the market. Apart from the ultimate value being higher for the animal owners, the products have a longer shelf life and can reach a broader market, including export.
This approach to meat enterprises can deliver steady development to society and can be a means to utilise natural resources through investments from all stakeholders, including the community, private investors, and other development partners. This can therefore create more employment in the area, develop entrepreneurial skills and either attract or grow other new enterprises.
For a stable supply, the abattoirs can train the community on skills to improve the management and treatment of their livestock, introduce better breeds, and even spearhead the development of communal boreholes. Gradually, the small abattoirs can expand into big businesses or become part of a network of meat suppliers.
In the long run, the strong cultural attachment to animal rearing and the entrepreneurial spirit will intertwine, creating a powerful economic force that could accelerate development in the arid and semi-arid areas and the entire country. Consequently, this is great potential, as the global demand for meat and other animal products, such as leather, remains high.
Karen Kandie
