Boran breeders could lose key market due to cattle disease
Boran cattle breeders in Laikipia County could lose a key market due to foot and mouth disease outbreaks.
For three years now, the breeders have not exported Boran embryos to South Africa due to fears of the infection.
In an effort to fight the disaster, Ol Pejeta conservancy has been supporting farmers using its breeding centre in order to access export markets for Boran embryos and semen.
Boran is a cattle breed revered as the hardiest in Africa since it adapts to hot climates.
Some of the continent’s best Boran breeds are found in Laikipia’s Solio, Mogwooni, Suyian, Ol Donyo Farm, Rumuruti, and ADC Mutara ranches.
“Laikipia is a good place for livestock. It has the best breeds in the world but foot and mouth disease is endemic.
“We’ve not exported any embryo to South Africa since 2011,” said Ol Pejeta livestock manager Giles Prettejohn.
Breeders fear that they may have already lost their embryo and semen market share in South Africa to Namibia.
“South African importers came in two groups, with one thinking that genetic materials from Kenya were the best while the other supported Namibia.
Foot and mouth disease, which is common here, was also an issue,” Solio ranch livestock manager Colin Tomlison said.
Despite having the best Boran, Laikipia breeders have to contend with nomadic pastoralists who often bring their animals to the ranches for pasture during the dry seasons.
Mr Jackie Kenyon of Mugwooni Ranch told a security meeting that ranchers live in fear of foot and mouth outbreaks due to the nomads.
The industry was in panic a month ago after three cases suspected to be of the deadly contagious bovine pleuropneumonia were detected at a private farm in Laikipia East.
However, the county director of veterinary services, Mr Peterson Njiru, said there was no outbreak after tests conducted by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute turned out to be negative.
Livestock rearing constitutes about 80 per cent of the primary occupation of the households in the county.
