FAO to help Kenya's livestock sector

The Food and Agricultural Organisation is taking steps to curb cattle starvation and boost productivity in Kenya.

The move could relieve Kenya's livestock farmers who had lost money for years due to prolonged drought in most parts of the country.

The FAO will facilitate the launching of a US$5.5 million programme that will ensure the availability of feedstock and the improvement of livestock marketing.

The initiative will target livestock farmers in vulnerable areas, especially the Arid and Semi Arid Lands, and will help improve livestock production.

The programme will focus on knowledge transfer and animal health, which are key constraints to poverty alleviation within the dairy sector, said FAO Representative in Kenya Castro Camarada.

Fodder will be an important source of income substituting the need to sell livestock, which are key livelihood assets, in order to purchase staple grains such as corn and sorghum, he said.