NAIROBI, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is developing health and safety protocols to boost livestock exports, an official said on Wednesday.
Harry Kimutai, principal secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation, told an agricultural forum in Nairobi that currently Kenya's livestock cannot access the lucrative overseas markets due to high prevalence of animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease.
"The protocols will ensure that livestock meet stringent standards imposed by importing countries," Kimutai said during the Commercial Bank of Africa Economic Forum.
Kimutai said that Middle East countries such Saudi Arabia and Oman have already expressed interest in purchasing live animals from Kenya.
He said that the livestock will be quarantined at the Bachuma Livestock Export Processing Zone before they are exported.
The government has already set aside 1 million U.S. dollars to develop the livestock exporting processing zone, which will be operational by June 2019, Kimutai said.
Kenya will use the public-private-partnership model to expand production of the livestock sector, he said.
The ministry also plans to amend the Branding of Stock Act to allow for the introduction of the Livestock Identification and Traceability System (LITS), Kimutai said, noting that the system will help enhance food security.
