The Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) has unveiled a livestock procurement plan for Garissa farmers.
Speaking during a sensitization meeting for local farmers on the procurement plan held at a local hotel, Garissa County Director of Livestock Dr. Haret Hambe said KMC would present a ready market that will offer competitive prices for local farmers’ beef cattle.
“KMC is going to be a big market for our farmers is this region. They will purchase our livestock and pay for them based on their live weight. The money will be in your bank accounts within three days,” Dr. Hambe said.
According to KMC’s team leader Lt. Col. Martin Maluki, pricing for bulls and steers above 350kg live weight will fetch Sh180 per kilogram while a cow of the same weight will sell at Sh170 per kilogram.
KMC will only accept cattle of a minimum live weight of between 180 kilograms and 200 kilograms paying Sh150 per kilogram for bulls while cow at Sh140 per kilogram.
Lt. Col. Maluki further added that only goats and sheep weighing 20 kilograms and above will be accepted by KMC with the prices for he-goats at Sh220 per kilogram and she goats at Sh210 per kilogram. Male sheep fetch 210 per kilogram while female will go for Sh200.
Lt. Col. Maluki said since the military took over operations at KMC, the Athi-River abattoir has been renovated and its capacity increased from slaughtering seven cows a day, to 200 per day.
He added that KMC’s Kibarani station is also under renovation and will seek to export beef from slaughtered animals.
The Kenya Livestock Marketing Council chair Dubat Ali Amey appealed to local farmers to take advantage of the opportunity to earn better returns from their herds.
Amey said the council was liaising with the county livestock department to assist farmers prepare their animals in order to get the best prices.
“This is a great milestone for livestock farmers. We will hold more consultative meetings to review these prices. With this programme, even during the dry seasons we can still sell our livestock which would be used for canned meat,” Amey said.
Amey further asked the government to form a livestock marketing board to create ways of making livestock farming a major economic mainstay in Kenya.
Present during the function included KMC’s Lt. Col. Henry Mugiira and Maj. (Dr.) Marion Amulyoto.
By Erick Kyalo and Jacob Songok
