Nairobi: The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) has joined forces with stakeholders in the livestock sector to formulate a project proposal aimed at bolstering livestock trade and export in the Eastern Africa region.
According to Kenya News Agency, the project, funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), will be executed by KALRO in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with the objective of creating a unified strategy for livestock trade and export in Eastern Africa.
KALRO Deputy Director General for Livestock, Dr Evans Ilatsia, announced during a stakeholders' briefing meeting in Nairobi that the project intends to develop a regional proposal addressing biosafety, disease management, and traceability to enhance animal trade. The project aims to improve adherence to international sanitary standards and enhance the competitiveness of livestock trade in Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Dr Ilatsia emphasized the importance of strengthening livestock identification systems, certification processes, biosecurity, disease surveillance, and laboratory diagnostics. These components are crucial for penetrating the export market and matching exporters like Australia. The project, currently in development, is expected to help Kenya and the region expand livestock exports and meet international standards. Dr Ilatsia acknowledged the support from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in Kenya's efforts to improve livestock trade.
Animal health and agricultural research consultant Dr Henry Wamwayi stressed the importance of involving trade experts and attach©s in promoting livestock exports. He advocated for collaboration between veterinary departments and trade ministries to raise awareness about market requirements. Dr Wamwayi highlighted examples from India, Australia, and the Gulf region, where specialized export-promotion agencies have bolstered livestock trade. He cited Somalia's recovery in the export market after aligning quarantine stations with international standards.
Dr Wamwayi also addressed the significance of transparency in disease reporting, environmental sustainability, cultural considerations, and national security in livestock trade. He called for strategies to tackle informal and illegal cross-border livestock trade, which poses challenges to disease control. On livestock nutrition, he emphasized the need for quality feed free from chemical and antibiotic residues, advocating for the integration of feed-improvement initiatives into national trade strategies.
Dr Monika Maichomo, Director of the KALRO Veterinary Research Institute, outlined several technologies developed to support farmers. These include the thermostable Newcastle disease vaccine, the East Coast Fever vaccine, mastitis diagnostic kits, and feed supplements. Dr Maichomo revealed that the ongoing project aims to pilot a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for improving live animal trade, focusing on compliance with Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards to access premium international markets.
The project unites farmers, policymakers, researchers, private-sector actors, and international partners to enhance the region's capacity to competitively and sustainably export livestock. Stakeholders expressed optimism that the project's next phase will establish a robust livestock export system meeting global standards and improving income opportunities for farmers across the country.