Kenyan Cattle Gene Imports Rocket
KENYA - Kenyan imports of dairy genetics are growing at 11 per cent annually. The United States is the largest exporter of dairy genetics to Kenya and holds 73 per cent share. Kenyan farmers and consumers view U.S. products as high-quality.
18 December 2008
1 minute read
Kenyan imports of bovine semen are growing at 11 per cent annually and are now estimated at 83,000 doses of semen (valued at $1.6 million). Growth is expected to continue as Kenya has become an important producer of milk products.
The dairy sector in Kenya has more than three million dairy cattle producing 3.3 million liters of milk annually. Milk production could triple in the next ten years as more Kenyan dairy farmers adopt the artificial insemination technology. About 600,000 small scale-farmers dominate the sector, owning over 80 per cent the cattle population, producing 56 per cent of the overall milk production, and contributing 80 per cent of marketed milk.
The United States is the largest exporter of dairy genetics to Kenya and holds 73 per cent share. This increase is largely due to the recognition of the superior quality of U.S. cattle herd as well as its dairy livestock sector’s productive and innovative artificial insemination technologies. Five U.S. companies are currently supplying Kenyan farmers with semen and include the American Breeders Service (ABS), Worldwide Sires Ltd., Cooperative Resource International (CRI), Alpha Genetics, and Sierra Besert Breeders Ltd.
The United States is expected to remain the largest supplier of despite growing competition from Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia. Canada has doubled its exports to Kenya in the last three years.
TheCattleSite News Desk
