Kenya's Strategy: Building Livestock Feed Stockpiles for Drought Resilience

Kenya plans to create national livestock feed reserves to store hay, silage, and fodder for drought periods. Counties will manage planning and distribution, while cooperatives will handle last-mile delivery to herders. Kenya faces an annual feed deficit of 33 million tonnes amid recurring droughts in arid regions. The Kenyan government plans to establish national livestock feed reserves in the near term. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development announced the initiative on January 15. Authorities said the reserves will store hay, silage, and other fodder for drought periods. Officials said they will build the reserves during surplus seasons and deploy them at the first signs of drought through early warning systems. “The counties will lead feed planning and distribution, supported by the national government, while cooperatives will ensure last-mile delivery to guarantee that feed reaches herders on time, preventing livestock deaths and distress sales,” the ministry said in a statement. Authorities have not yet disclosed details on the number and location of storage sites or the project timeline. Strengthening Livestock Resilience to Drought Agriculture Minister Mutahi Kagwe said the initiative will protect livestock and pastoral livelihoods from recurring droughts. He said the livestock sub-sector remains among the most vulnerable to climate shocks, particularly in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL), which host most of the country’s cattle and small ruminants. A report published by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Wednesday, January 7, showed that the 2025 rainy season in ASAL regions reached only 30% to 60% of the seasonal average. “This situation has intensified pasture depletion, water scarcity, and livestock losses, leading to widespread livelihood collapse in pastoral communities. Livestock productivity continues to decline due to poor body condition, limited forage regeneration, and restricted access to water,” the report said. Kenya has already experienced severe livestock losses in recent years. Between 2020 and 2022, the country recorded the death of about 2.5 million animals nationwide. Authorities described that period as the worst drought in 40 years and cited limited access to quality and affordable animal feed. More broadly, the national feed reserve project reinforces existing government efforts to boost domestic feed production and secure long-term availability. In 2023, Nairobi announced plans to mobilize 460 billion Kenyan shillings, or about $3.56 billion, to implement a 10-year national strategy to develop the animal feed industry. Official data show that Kenya currently faces an annual shortfall of about 33 million tonnes of animal feed. The East African country held an estimated 22.4 million cattle and 38.4 million sheep and goats in 2024, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle