Livestock contributes about 10% of Kenyas GDP. The major stakeholders in the sub-sector are pastoralists and farmers. The animals are kept mainly for food or income generation. The pastoralists however also keep livestock as a mark of self-esteem and wealth in the community. The major types of commercial livestock farming include dairy farming and beef farming.

Beef Farming

90% of beef cattle in Kenya are owned by subsistence farmers and pastoralists. The distribution of beef cattle is influenced by rainfall patterns. Most animals are kept in ranches in the Rift Valley Province in particular in the Nakuru, Trans Nzoia and Kajiado Districts. Larger ranches are found in Kilifi and Kwale Districts in the Coast Province.

Small scale beef farming is carried out in many parts of Kenya. There is growing interest in this sector by investors who wish to carry out meat processing with the aim of exporting the products to Mauritius, the Middle East and elsewhere. More than 10,000 livestock worth several tens of millions of shillings have been exported to Mauritius since the resumption of livestock exports in 2003. The export of the livestock followed the successful creation of disease free zones at the Kenyan Coast, Laikipia and the North Rift. There are 5.4 million beef cattle in Kenya according to the last livestock census done in 2007.

Dairy Farming

Large scale dairy farming, where cattle are solely used for production of milk for sale, accounts for 20% of national milk production, while small scale dairy farming accounts for 80%. The largest single milk processor is the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries. There are also several medium sized milk processing plants found in Nairobi, Limuru, Nakuru and Eldoret and elsewhere. Milk production and processing of its by products such as yoghurt, butter, cheese and ghee, as well as powdered milk has increased significantly over the last few years. In 2005, dairy exports stood at 10 million tonnes while imports peaked at 16 million. The revival of the Kenya Cooperative Creameries – the largest milk processor – has fuelled growth in the sector. In that year, the countrys milk 34 processors handled close to 308 million litres, which led to a 35 per cent growth in the sub-sector. This was the highest performance in the agriculture sector. Kenya has 3.7 million dairy cattle according to the livestock census done in 2007.


For more information visit: www.livestock.go.ke