Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya has started shipping livestock to Oman providing much-needed relief for pastoralists amid an unprecedented drought crisis. Official statistics show that over 2.5 million livestock perished in arid and semi-arid counties where the effects of the drought are most severe.
On Thursday, the second batch of livestock exports to Salalah Port in Oman left the Port of Lamu aboard MV Banyas 1. “Over 4000 head of livestock including 800 camels goats and bulls will be shipped to the gulf coming two months after the port handled its maiden livestock exports,” the Kenya Ports Authority said in a statement.
KPA recently set up a livestock zone at the port of Lamu to handle livestock exports mostly to the gulf where demand is high. The authority said MV Banyas 1 docked at the Port of Lamu in October to load 200 head of cattle and 15,400 goats and sheep for transportation to Oman.
The shipment of the animals will complement ongoing state interventions to alleviate losses for pastoralist communities where harsh climatic conditions have led to the deaths of livestock.
In December 2021, the government launched Sh40 million livestock off-take programme in Kwale county in a bid to reduce the loss of animals to drought.
A similar programme was launched in Kilifi county this year while in November this year, the government released Sh350 million to KMC for the livestock offtake programme.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi said the Livestock off-take programme will target at least 13 counties experiencing the worst drought levels. A second batch of livestock exports to Salalah Port in Oman is currently being loaded onto MV Banyas 1 at Port of Lamu
Over 4000 head of livestock including 800 camels goats & bulls will be shipped to the gulf coming two months after the port handled its maiden livestock exports pic.twitter.com/PudzwqTjYZ
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