The National Government has picked Elgeyo Marakwet County to pilot a new national Livestock Master Plan for wealth creation.
The Elgeyo Marakwet Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Irrigation and Fisheries led by the CEC Edwin Seronei hosted a team from the Kenya Livestock Master Plan (LMP) program.
The LMP is a five-year sector investment plan. It includes both investment analysis and a budget—both a financial and a human resource budget that guides the development of a country’s sustainable livestock sector. The plan also identifies investment options in the livestock value chain through evidence based sector analysis and to establish a validated baseline status of the sector.
Elgeyo Marakwet will be the pioneer county as the national government plans to launch the project countrywide.
The CEC welcomed the initiative and added that the component of digitalization of livestock data will see the sector manage breeding and disease control well.
Dr. Bishar Fille Elmi the Director Livestock Production, said the LMP process will enable the identification of needed investments and policies to develop the livestock sector. “The Livestock sector supports the livelihoods of a significant part of the population and is key to attaining food and nutrition security in the County and the entire country,” he said.
He added that the livestock sector is faced with several challenges that hinders it’s growth, and that the plan is expected to help address them.
