Nanyuki: Principal Secretary for Livestock Jonathan Mueke has revealed that the government is committed to enhancing the livestock sector in the country through strengthening disease surveillance.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mueke, while speaking in Nanyuki Town during this year’s Mt Kenya Branch Agricultural Society (ASK) Show, noted that outbreaks of livestock diseases, rangeland degradation, and poor market access are some of the obstacles affecting livestock production. Mueke emphasized the challenges presented by climate change, such as prolonged drought, emerging diseases, pasture degradation, and water scarcity, and the need to focus on climate-smart agriculture and sustainable food production systems.
Among the interventions are nationwide vaccination campaigns and investment in improved genetics through artificial insemination breeding programmes. An outbreak of livestock diseases such as foot-and-mouth remains a major threat that restricts free livestock movement and access to major markets. The PS pledged to promote fodder production and feed resilience to address climate change feed-related shortages.
Further, the PS indicated that the government would support digitization, innovation, and research in the livestock value chain. Mueke highlighted the importance of embracing technologies and practices that improve productivity while conserving the environment for future generations, including climate-smart feeds, water-harvesting technologies, drought-resilient livestock feeds, pasture reseeding, and sustainable land-farming management.
Meanwhile, Laikipia is among the top producers of high-quality beef and mutton for local and export markets, but the outbreak of diseases has continued to adversely affect production. Additionally, the current conflict in the Middle East following the US-Israel war on Iran has impacted Kenya’s beef export markets, leading to significant financial losses for local farmers.
