Bachuma Livestock Centre Sets Stage for KSh30 Billion Export Opportunity for Kenyan Farmers

Kenya is positioning livestock as a major export enterprise as the Government moves to commercialise the Bachuma National Livestock Quarantine Centre and build the infrastructure needed to connect farmers with high-value international markets.

The centre in Taita-Taveta County is being handed over to private investor Blue Mountain for commercialisation, with the Government expecting the facility to provide quarantine, inspection and certification services for livestock destined for export.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Sen. Mutahi Kagwe said the investment is intended to go beyond establishing a livestock quarantine facility by creating a more organised export system that can generate jobs, attract investment and increase opportunities for farmers.

“The centre will provide quarantine, inspection and certification services for livestock destined for export, strengthening Kenya’s ability to meet international animal-health and food-safety requirements,” Kagwe said.

The scale of the potential market was highlighted during the engagement with ranchers in Taita-Taveta, where an offtake arrangement was cited as capable of generating demand for up to 100,000 cattle annually.

An order for goats and sheep from South Africa was also cited at approximately KSh2 billion, while the overall opportunity associated with the facility was put at about KSh30 billion in potential value.

Bachuma is expected to handle livestock from different parts of Kenya and could eventually serve animals from neighbouring countries, giving Taita-Taveta an opportunity to develop into a regional livestock trade and export hub.

For farmers, however, access to international markets will depend on the ability to produce sufficient numbers of animals that meet the required health, quality and traceability standards.

The Government is therefore pursuing measures aimed at strengthening the supply side of the livestock value chain, including finance, breeding, water infrastructure and farmer aggregation.

One proposed intervention is the County Livestock Investment Company model targeting 23 arid and semi-arid counties.

The model would bring together 15,000 livestock farmers in each county, with every farmer expected to take a KSh10,000 share. The Government would contribute KSh7,000 while the farmer contributes KSh3,000.

If fully implemented, the arrangement would create potential share capital of KSh150 million in each county and KSh3.45 billion across the 23 counties.

The proposed farmer-owned companies would aggregate livestock and provide a commercial structure through which farmers could access larger domestic and export markets. Farmers could also receive returns through dividends or bonuses generated by the companies.

Animal identification and traceability is another critical component of the export strategy.

Through ANITRAC, the Government is seeking to improve the ability to trace animals to their source and maintain information covering their origin, vaccination and animal health history.

Such records can support disease control and livestock security while helping exporters demonstrate compliance with requirements in international markets.

In Taita-Taveta, water is also being placed at the centre of efforts to increase livestock production. The national and county governments will work with ranchers to identify strategic locations for water pans and other infrastructure to support animals across the county’s extensive rangelands.

The Government’s emerging approach combines public investment and private-sector participation. Private investors are expected to provide capital, technical expertise and commercial management, while the Government supports the sector through infrastructure, water development, regulation and policy.

The model is intended to address a longstanding challenge in livestock production, where farmers may have animals but lack reliable access to water, organised markets, financing, animal health services and systems for aggregating production.

By bringing these components together around an export-oriented value chain, the Government hopes to shift livestock from largely traditional production towards a more structured commercial enterprise.

For Taita-Taveta, the commercialisation of Bachuma could also create economic activity beyond livestock sales, including transport, animal handling, veterinary services, processing and other businesses linked to the export trade.

The immediate challenge will be ensuring that the infrastructure and commercial opportunities translate into consistent demand and better returns for producers.

With Bachuma being positioned as the link between Kenyan livestock and international buyers, the facility could become a key part of the country’s attempt to build a traceable livestock export system and capture more value from its large livestock population.