The Ministry of Livestock Development says it may abandon its Vision 2030 flagship project due to the huge costs involved and the complexity of implementing it.

Establishment of disease-free zones was meant to achieve sanitary and quality standards required for local meat exports to access larger and high-value export markets, especially the EU. The facilities were also supposed to turn the country into a regional hub for beef exports to beat rivals like Djibouti.

Although the ministry had planned to establish at least two disease-free zones by 2012, it had decided to try a new strategy by going for compartments which are smaller and cheaper to maintain.

It is not clear whether the EU and other markets would approve of this to resuming buying Kenyan meat.

Livestock minister Mohammed Kuti expressed frustration over failure by Treasury to release KES3 billion (US$37.2 million) for establishing the zones even after seeking the intervention of the president last year.

The African Development Bank is waiting for the release of the money so that it can provide its KES1.2 billion (US$14.88 million) pledge.

This, though, appears to contradict budget proposals in which KES330 million (US$4.09 million) has been allocated to support livestock farmers through, by among others, rehabilitating 10 ranches for beef production and establishing two feedlots of disease-free zones in Coast to expand exports.

Establishment of the zones is an attempt by Kenya to reclaim a 4,000 tonnes annual beef export quota to the EU, its biggest market which it lost in 1992.