Best Practices In Value Chain Promotion: Experience For Kenya Beef Value Chain

Abstract

The Kenya beef value chain (VC) is characterised by low productivity, inadequate market information, linkages among VC actors, limited value addition technologies and facilities, limited awareness on quality and safety aspects of the products and by-products along the BVC, a weak policy framework, conflicting/duplication of mandates within the public service and lack of partnership between the private and public sectors. The Programme for Promotion of Private Sector Development in Agriculture undertook the BVC promotion in Kenya The main interventions were capacity development of slaughterhouse owners on organisational development, animal welfare and food safety, training of flayers in improved flaying techniques for improved hides and skins quality, and for butchers in meat hygiene, bookkeeping, butchery business, live animal and carcase grading, meat cutting and customer relations. The main outcome was increased meat sales of between 50 and 100% due to increased number of customers and reduction of losses resulting from poor meat cutting techniques with resultant increased income. Skin prices increased by 60% increase due to improved quality and demand by tanners. Skin traders at Kiamaiko slaughterhouses increased from 3 to 11 within 2 years of intervention. Each of the 8 extra traders engaged an average of three employees in their skin stores. This generated an additional income amounting to Ksh. 50M and an employment of about 60 labour years in less than two years. The impact included improved livelihood and social economic status of the VC actors. In conclusion, it is evident that promotion of the BVC created a positive impact in income generation and employment creation and recommend that these interventions be up-scaled throughout the country and government should therefore put in place a clear beef sub-sector development strategy