Emerging Livestock: Current Status, Global Perspective With A Local Focus.

Abstract

Livestock production in Kenya has largely focused on conventional domestic animals, largely ignoring the existing potential of emerging livestock species as sources of protein and other animal products. Emerging livestock including ostriches, crocodiles, quails, guinea fowls, snakes, ants, snails, frogs and chameleons, bees among others are largely unexploited either due to inadequate information to support their production, lack of sufficient market channels, inadequate policy and legal framework or socio-cultural beliefs that preclude their utilization This paper will focus on the potential opportunities and constraints in production of the main emerging livestock in Kenya including ostriches, crocodiles and quails among others. The existing information on production and marketing of the major emerging livestock will be collated and compared with that from other regions. The current production practices and the main diseases of major emerging livestock will be highlighted. The existing policy and regulatory framework that supports production of emerging livestock in Kenya will be stated. The existing research gaps and opportunities for improved marketing will be discussed. The paper will highlight the existing potential of emerging livestock production to support livelihood, employment and wealth creation in Kenya.