Deputy President William Ruto yesterday opened Kenya's first Mifugo Ni Mali Livestock Expo that aims at promoting the sector as a commercial venture.
Themed 'Herding for Markets', the expo brought together livestock producers and policy makers, financiers, buyers and other livestock value chain actors.
It attracted 1000 delegates, close to 100 exhibitors and 10,000 livestock producers from various parts of the country.
"We intend to profile various investment opportunities in the livestock sector during the expo, and showcase its potential to the stakeholders," said the KCB Foundation Chairman, Catherine Kola.
The expo was organised by a consortium of partners including the State Department of Livestock, KCB Foundation, AgriPro Focus, Kenya Markets Trust (KMT), Kenya Livestock Marketing Council (KLMC), SNV and University of Nairobi.
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It aims to promote a market-led approach and profile investment opportunities that can help unlock the sector's potential by providing a marketplace for deal-making, place livestock as a priority economic growth sector for governments and explore opportunities for enhanced livestock marketing during drought crises.
Huge investments
The livestock sector plays an important economic and socio-cultural role among many Kenyan communities contributing to food and cash needs of the farmers while providing employment to over 10 million people in East Africa.
The sector contributes 12 per cent of GDP which is 40 per cent of the agricultural GDP in Kenya.
''The fight against poverty through livestock upgrading initiatives in the country and the region demands huge investments in resources.
We recognise efforts by the private sector given that the livestock industry contributes 12 per cent of the GDP of Kenya and employs tens of millions of people in the Horn of Africa,'' said the Deputy President William Ruto.
Policy guidelines
He also added that the Government has developed various policy guidelines on various livestock enterprises, which guide investment to improve productivity.
These strategy policies include a National Dairy Development Policy, National Poultry Policy, Apiculture Policy among others.
Recent trends have revealed increasing investment along extensive livestock value chains by both the Government and the private sector.
According to Ms Kola, there is need to tap into this trend to showcase the commercial viability of livestock farming in relation to the socio-cultural importance attached to livestock by most communities who keep cattle.
