Livestock Production in Kilifi for Vision 2030 KNA Kilifi, September 30, 2013. Setting up of livestock Disease Free Zones in the Arid and Semi Arid Lands in Kenya was in 2008 identified as one of the critical carriers of the Economic Pillars that constitutes part of Kenya Vision 2030. The government categorized this as one of the four main flagship projects within the Livestock sector with the others being, the enactment of Consolidated Agricultural policy reform legislation; the fertilizer cost reduction initiative; and the ASAL Development projects. The economic pillar of Kenya Vision 2030 seeks to ensure that the economy of the country grows at a steady rate of ten percent per annum over the next seventeen years, since the launch of the project in 2008. This is set to add value to Kenyan products and services. The government through the ministries of agriculture and livestock development has been setting up the livestock Disease Free Zones in the ASAL Regions with the sole purpose to improve on the quality of livestock and livestock products. This is to ensure that Kenyan livestock and livestock products become highly competitive on the international market whilst contributing towards poverty reduction and increased food security thereby improving the livelihoods and the sector through its contribution to the national economy. Livestock is a major economic activity in Kilifi County providing income and food especially in the hinterlands of Ganze, Langobaya and Magarini. The main type of livestock to be found in the County includes cattle, sheep, goats and poultry. Arguably, value addition in livestock products such as meat, honey, hides and skin is minimal yet the upgrading of these livestock products would contribute significantly in the growth of the subsector. The establishment of a disease free zone in the county as envisioned in the Vision 2030 will play a crucial role in ensuring high quality disease free livestock products both for the local and export market. According to the estimations made in the County Integrated Development Plan, (CIDO) 2013- 2017, the department of livestock in conjunction with the department of Veterinary Services will focus mainly on increasing the value of the livestock and their products. This it is expected shall be done through the promotion of livestock production systems that are environmental friendly, economical viable and socially accepted. The sub-sector will also improve the yield of the livestock through improved management and crossbreeding with high quality breeds while extension services will be geared towards raising current output to feed the population and provide surplus for income generation. The Disease Free Zones Programme identified the counties of Kilifi and Mombasa with some parts of Kwale and Taita Taveta as the main regions in Coast Province where according to Kilifi County Development Planning Officer, Mr. Mathew Musyoka sixty per cent of Kenya Vision 2030 projects are being implemented. Coast province indeed is regarded as an arid region that is suitable for livestock production. According to the 2009 National Census, the livestock population in the Coastal free Zone stands at 608,871 cattle, 1,018,330 goats and 178,961 sheep with a human population of 2.7 million. While exhibiting the greatest potential to feed the Coast Region, several efforts have been put in place to ensure that Kilifi County remains a disease free zone while remaining a major vibrant livestock zone in the Country. According to the Sub County Veterinary Officer, Dr. Jack Omollo, measures are in place to ensure that Quarantine stations are surveyed and fenced, holding grounds at Mariakani are currently being rehabilitated, while more Quarantine stations are set to be erected as stakeholders sensitizations continues. The rehabilitation and additional constructions at the Veterinary Laboratories in Mariakani is way on course. A total of Kshs. 140 million is to be set aside for this purpose once the CIDP 2013- 2017 is adopted by the County Assembly. The County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2013- 2017 has projected that the County Government will have to put in Kshs. 2.9billion over a period of five years to ensure that the livestock sector is upgraded to meet international demands. A general overview indicates that there is urgent need to establish a revolving fund for the purchase of dairy cows at a cost of Kshs. 50million. County statistics indicate that the population of livestock in the region is predominantly indigenous with low production; this is however set to change once the County government injects Kshs. 700 million for upgrading livestock breeds. The Disease Free Zone Programme articulates the challenges in the livestock sector performance as a result of the high prevalence of trade sensitive diseases and the resultant failure to access high value markets in the world. Currently Kenya is a key exporter of livestock to the Middle East region and if the challenges are adequately addressed, it could join the ranks as one of the world’s largest exporters. Currently, Kilifi County is at par with North Eastern in the production of livestock and its products. The department of veterinary services has been embarking on a programme that will guarantee the eradication in the Coastal Region of Rinder-pest disease, Mad Cow Disease (BSE), Foot and Mouth Disease as well as Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBP). The prevalence of secondary but trade sensitive diseases such as lumpy skin disease, brucellosis, Rift Valley Fever (RVF), sheep pox and goat pox is according to Dr Omollo, a threat to the vibrant livestock industry. There have been several outbreak cases in the past two months of lumpy skin disease in several parts of Kilifi North, a major livestock market in the Coast region. According to the World Trade Organization Agreement for the application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures regarded as WTO-SPS Agreement (Kenya assented to the WTO-SPS Agreement in 1995), member countries agreed to recognize regions that are pest and disease free as sources of animals and animal products for the purpose of international trade. In this regard, resource poor countries that were at the time unable to eradicate diseases countrywide would create free zones where diseases and pests would be eliminated so as to allow them to trade internationally. The WTO-SPS Agreement which is still in place is aimed at reducing the spread of diseases, toxins and contaminants as well as assuring food security and human health. The overall cost of establishing the Disease Free Zone currently stands at Kshs. 11.5 billion with an annual maintenance after the fifth year of Kshs. 674 million. The National government as the lead financing agency has so far pumped in Kshs. 5 billion and has been seeking financial assistance from donor partners; the African Development Bank granted Kenya a total of Kshs. 2.8 billion while the Arab Bank for the Development of Africa (BADEA) expressed interest to support the programme. While it is argued that the government may be a beneficiary of this project, the primary beneficiaries under the Millennium Development Goals and Kenya Vision 2030 will be livestock sub sector operators such as pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, dairy and mixed farmers, livestock traders, chambers of commerce, public and private sector animal health service providers and community based organizations in the agriculture sub sector. The government will gain through foreign exchange generated internationally while the number of professionals in veterinary health medicine, agriculture, biological sciences and marketing has been rising steadily. A vibrant livestock industry supported by the creation of a Disease Free Zone will accrue substantial benefits such as increased supply of meat thus reducing mortality and increasing reproduction and growth rates; creation of over 130,000 jobs; reduced human deaths from human and animal diseases such as brucellosis, tuberculosis and Rift Valley fever; increased milk production; increased livestock by products sales of hides and skins; as well as increased production of animal manure from farms and blood and bone meals an aspect that will contribute to positive environment management in turn increasing land for crop production. According to Mr. Sam Mwamachi, Ganze District Livestock Production Officer, there are several components of the Disease Free Zone Programme that the ministry of livestock is working on in the Coast Region; the animal health improvement component aimed at eradicating foot and Mouth Disease and BSF. Implementation and monitoring of this component is currently being done through disease diagnosis and surveillance; vaccination, testing, slaughter and compensation; livestock movement management that also ensures that all livestock are registered within the respective districts. The rehabilitation and construction of more cattle dips and vaccination crushes county-wide is expected to cost Kshs. 750 million. Currently there are four quarantine stations already established in Karmale, Kurawa, Manyani and Lungalunga in Mswabweni. Five holding grounds have been established in the ASAL Regions of Garissa, Bothai in Ijara District, Wenje on Tana River District, Bargoni in Lamu and Sabaki in Malindi District. Satellite laboratories have also been established in Kabete (Central Veterinary Lab), Embakasi (foot and Mouth Lab), Marikani (Regional Veterinary Investigation Lab- RVIL), Garissa (RVIL), while Witu and Ukunda have satellite laboratories. In areas such as Malindi district in Kilifi County livestock production offices have been established in Magarini, Marafa and Langobaya divisions to offer support to the ASAL based livestock and rural livelihoods projects. In addition to increased livestock management through ranch management and other veterinary related services in the larger Kilifi County, the government is ensuring that there is promotion of non-conventional livestock production through the commercialization of indigenous poultry and the re-introduction of bee-keeping for honey and wax production. The CIDP 2013- 2017 having taken the submissions from the residents of the County in regards to the livestock sector indicates that there are opportunities for emerging livestock in the County. These include the rearing of guinea fowls and quelea quelea birds, rabbit as well as camel production all which are set to receive Kshs. 66 million within the five year period. With a vibrant local poultry industry, the CIDP projects that Kshs. 150 million will be spent in the construction of modern abattoirs or slaughter houses for poultry. Rangeland management suitable for the ASAL is aimed at developing and instituting pasture and water development, conservation programs as well as encouraging ranching as a commercial activity in the regions with drought mitigation measures such as appropriate stocking rates and structured off take systems being put in place. A resource information centre is almost complete at the Agriculture Training Centre, Mtwapa in Kikambala Division while extension offices are being constructed in Jaribuni and Chonyi divisions. An auction yard is being constructed in Ganze District to provide a market for livestock farmers. In the many parts of the County, projects for the rehabilitation of livestock watering sources through de-silting of water pans have been going on and indeed the provision of water for livestock as well as Range land rehabilitation is expected to receive Kshs. 100 million from the County Government. The government has a lot of constraints in livestock marketing due to poor road infrastructure, poor information network, weak marketing associations, and low level of local and international advocacy as well as poor business acumen for traders in respect to livestock export. It is imperative that Kilifi County leaders take a lead role in the international meat trade foras through value addition of its products where it is expected that the complete eradication of livestock diseases will form the launching pad for Kenya as a country to address the concerns of market infrastructure and international market penetration. End.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 08:34:04 +0000
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