dc.description.abstract | Pastoralism as a system has been subject to persistent
undervaluation, due to inadequate information on its
comparative and competitive advantages over alternative
land uses. this lack of understanding of pastoralism’s
contribution to the national economies of the Horn
of Africa region is partly to blame for unfavourable
policies, scant attention and limited investment in the
sector. the age-old mainstream view that pastoralism
needs to be modernised has informed most pastoral
development projects in the region. this has led to
government and international organisation efforts to
transform pastoral land tenure, sedentarise pastoralists
and introduce competing land uses in traditionally
pastoral landscapes.this study uses a total economic valuation approach to
characterise the true economic contribution of pastoral
meat production to the economy of Isiolo town. the
study includes a comprehensive literature review to
understand the socioeconomic and ecological dynamics
of Isiolo County. We used purposive sampling to
identify individuals for semi-structured and key informant
interviews, including livestock traders, brokers, butchery
owners, meat transporters, eatery owners, hide and skin
store owners and offal traders.
Our study shows that the pastoral meat trade makes a
considerable contribution to the local economy and the
county at large:
• It employs 448 individuals who, together with
business owners, support 2,665 immediate and
extended family members.
• Business owners make an average gross monthly
profit of KSh933,315 (about uS$10,975), paying their
employees an average of KSh8,932 (about uS$105)
a month.
• Businesses contribute KSh8 million in cess
(agricultural tax), and slaughter fees: KSh6 million in
livestock sales tax, KSh1.5 million in slaughter fees
and KSh0.5 million in cess on hide and skin sales.
• the subsector also contributes an annual average of:
– KSh520,000 to the veterinary department for
meat inspection services and certificates for
meat transportation
– KSh420,850 in business licences and transport
permits, and
– KSh354,720 a year to the public health
department for individual medical certificates and
premises health licences.the revenue collected shows the subsector’s potential
in the economy of Isiolo town. If the county government
helps create a more effective and efficient working
environment, this can be much improved. Our study
found a lack of proper infrastructure in both sales yards
and slaughter houses as well as access roads that are
in poor state —very dusty when dry and very muddy in
the rainy season. Insecurity adds to these challenges
and reduces pastoral meat producers’ participation in
the market. Brokers also exploit traders in the sales yard,
take over transactions and cheat on prices. the subsector has great potential for improving the
economy of Isiolo town and the lives and livelihoods
of the county’s population. the county government
can help create an effective and efficient working
environment by improving policy, regulatory and
institutional frameworks, technical and technological
interventions and infrastructure (markets and feeder
roads). this will increase government revenue and
improve the earning power of participants, enabling the
sector to support an even larger population, in the town
and the wider county. | en_US |