NAIROBI: In a bid to boost livestock production amidst a severe feed shortage, the State Department for Livestock is embarking on an ambitious project to establish 450 feedlots across 21 Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties. The initiative aims to address the country's 60 percent feed deficit, a critical challenge identified by the Director of Livestock Production, Mr. Bishar Elmi, as the nation struggles to meet its nutritional needs with an ever-growing population approaching 50 million. According to Kenya News Agency, Mr. Elmi emphasized the need for modern farming practices to complement traditional nomadic pastoralism, highlighting the feed deficit as a significant barrier to increasing red meat exports despite Kenya's position as the third-largest livestock holder on the continent. The planned feedlots, three of which are already operational in Baringo, Wajir West, and Meru Counties, are intended to support pastoralists by fattening and treating livestock for three months before selling them. The government is also advancing a commercial livestock breeding program and a national vaccination initiative to control transboundary diseases while encouraging farmers to commercialize livestock production to increase income. The current red meat consumption demand in Kenya is 600,000 metric tonnes annually, with production falling short at 400,500 metric tonnes. The introduction of the Animal Production Professionals and Technicians Bill (APPT) 2023 is a step towards regulating the livestock production sector, with the draft bill undergoing public consultations before its presentation to the National Assembly. The initiatives coincide with the first Grassland and Rangeland Society of Kenya (GRASK) annual conference held in Mombasa. The event, themed "Enhancing Community Resilience and Productivity of Grassland and Rangeland Ecosystems to Achieve Food Security," focuses on sustainable management practices, technology, and policy to improve productivity and resilience in dryland areas. GRASK Chairman Prof. M oses Nyangito expressed the society's commitment to collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development to optimize the country's rangeland resources. The society, established in all 24 dryland counties, aims to implement best practices to leverage rangelands for economic development. The conference aims to provide the government with expert-driven solutions to enhance rangeland management, recognizing ASAL areas as critical to future development due to the exhaustion of high-potential agricultural lands.