President Uhuru Kenyatta has said that his government is committed to finding new markets and expanding existing ones to enable farmers sell their livestock.
Speaking during official opening of Neema abattoir in Lucky Summer on Wednesday, Uhuru said that creating a conducive environment for business to grow, with the aim of creating jobs, is one of his top priorities.
The Head of State said the re-opening of the Kenya Meat Commission is part of a long term plan by the government to cushion livestock farmers from exploitative middlemen.
Uhuru added that the government will continue setting abattoirs across the country to ensure livestock farmers have ready markets for their animals.
"As a government we will be putting up slaughter houses in various places and I know together with those being put up by private investors, farmers will not fail to get good prices"
"We cannot have a situation where someone has reared his livestock and when time comes to sell them they are offered peanuts," Uhuru said.
He affirmed that that the government will extend the reforms being rolled out in the tea and coffee sectors to cover other areas among them livestock and maize farming, to make agriculture a lucrative economic activity.
Uhuru applauded owners of Neema abattoir led by Mohammed Bonaya for the consistency and determination that has seen their business expand and provide jobs to many young Kenyans.
He encouraged Neema to take advantage of the new Lamu Port and set up a similar meat processor in the area for the export market.
"You have demonstrated that you have the capability to put up an investment like this. What you need from us is water, electricity and roads which I assure you will be done by my Government," he said.
Neema is a Sh300 million slaughterhouse owned by 3,000 livestock farmers, and has an installed daily slaughter capacity of 12, 000 and 6,000 small stock –goats and sheep – for local and export markets.
The Head of State who stopped to address locals on his way out of the slaughterhouse called for unity and harmony, so that they can benefit from the investment being rolled out across the country.
