KMC managing director James Gathaga said the agency has so far purchased 2,500 cows from the farmers under the animal takeoff programme.
The Ministry of Agriculture had recommended commercial livestock offtake purchase, issuing of supplementary feeds where possible.
Apart from animals delivered by trucks, to boost animal supply, Kenya Railways recently began transportation of livestock via the Nanyuki-Nairobi metre gauge railway line
The Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) will purchase 11,000 cows from drought-stricken farmers for canning and storage under the Strategic Food Reserve.
KMC managing director James Gathaga said the agency has so far purchased 2,500 cows from the farmers under the animal takeoff programme as the northern part of the country continues to grapple with a biting drought.
KMC will be canning meat after many years, a development that started with the recent renovation of the facility and change in management.
Brigadier Gathaga also said KMC has bought 3,200 sheep and goats under the programme to save farmers from the effects of droughts that has seen hundreds of livestock succumb to harsh weather.
“We are targeting to have completed the exercise of buying the 11,000 cows in the next 10 weeks, which we shall can and stock at the Strategic Food reserve,” said Brigadier Gathaga.
The State Department of Livestock had sought Sh670 million for a livestock offtake programme in the arid areas to avert deaths of animals due to drought.
The Ministry of Agriculture had recommended commercial livestock offtake purchase, issuing of supplementary feeds where possible, promotion of fodder and pasture establishment and conservation as well as livestock disease surveillance to curb the effects of drought.
National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said the state of pasture and browse in most of the arid and semi-arid counties was generally fair to poor condition with Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, Tana River, Laikipia and Kitui reporting poor fodder condition.
Since September last year when President Uhuru Kenyatta transferred the government-owned meat processor to the Ministry of Defence in a turnaround strategy, the plant has witnessed dozens of transformations.
The processor currently enjoys a daily slaughter capacity of 1,250 large animals and 2,000 small stocks compared to a few months ago when the plant would go for a fortnight without a single slaughter.
The 72-hour payment and live animal weight policy has been enticing farmers to supply their animals to KMC.
Apart from animals delivered by trucks, to boost animal supply, Kenya Railways recently began transportation of livestock via the Nanyuki-Nairobi metre gauge railway line, coming as a boost to Kenya. More than 200 animals are delivered per trip on a weekly basis.
