Potential by 2030Nairobi, 14th April 2026 – Farmer’s Choice Limited, in partnership with the State Department for Livestock Development, today convened a Stakeholder Sensitisation Forum on the National Pig Value Chain at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.
Potential by 2030Nairobi, 14th April 2026 – Farmer’s Choice Limited, in partnership with the State Department for Livestock Development, today convened a Stakeholder Sensitisation Forum on the National Pig Value Chain at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.
Story by Stella Ranji
The forum brought together government and private sector stakeholders to assess the state of the industry.
Kenya’s per capita pork consumption remains low at 0.4 kg per person per year, half the WHO-recommended 0.8 kg, despite the sector contributing KES 19.5 billion (5% of livestock output). With demand projected to grow over 125% by 2030, driven by urbanisation, population growth, and changing diets, the sector holds significant growth potential.
Speaking at the forum, Hon. Jonathan Mueke, CBS, Principal Secretary for Livestock Development, said the government is prioritising the sector as part of broader efforts to strengthen food security and agricultural productivity.“The pig value chain presents a significant opportunity for Kenya to diversify its sources of animal protein while improving incomes for smallholder farmers,” he said. “Addressing constraints such as disease management, feed affordability, traceability, and market access will be critical to closing the supply gap and meeting growing demand.”Key challenges across the value chain include the high cost of quality feeds, recurring disease outbreaks such as African swine fever, and limited market access due to inadequate processing capacity and gaps in cold-chain infrastructure, all of which continue to constrain growth and disrupt supply.
Farmer’s Choice Limited Chief Executive Officer, Felisters Gitau Mutugu, emphasised the need for coordinated action across the value chain to address these challenges.“Transforming the pig value chain requires deliberate and sustained collaboration across production, processing, markets, and policy,” she said. “We must invest in farmer capacity, strengthen traceability and food safety systems, and build consumer trust, while expanding market access and opportunities for farmers.”
The sensitisation forum forms part of ongoing efforts under the National Pig Value Chain Development Strategy (2025–2029), aimed at strengthening public-private collaboration and empowering small-scale farmers.
Proposed interventions include farmer training programmes, public education campaigns on pork nutrition and safety, and initiatives to expand market access and consumption.Beyond its economic potential, the pig sector also has important implications for nutrition and sustainability. Pork provides high-quality protein and is rich in essential vitamins such as B1, B6 and B12, as well as iron and zinc. Compared to ruminant livestock, pigs have shorter production cycles and lower emissions per kilogram of meat produced.If effectively developed, the pig value chain is expected to improve household incomes, reduce the national protein deficit, and contribute to Kenya’s food security agenda, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger.
