Increasing Youth Participation in Livestock Production in Kenya

Agriculture is a primary source of employment in Kenya. Most employment takes the form of smallholder crop and livestock farming, either as a main or supplementary livelihood activity. In recent years, youth have been found to prefer employment in non-farm livelihood activities to farming, in part due to lack of markets, market information, affordable credit facilities, and land, and a preference for jobs that offer financial security, prestige, comforts of urban life and which avoid the drudgery associated with farming. In order to encourage young people back into livestock production, programmes led by the Ministry of Agriculture and partners need to avoid entrenching existing gender inequalities. Focus also needs to be placed on how the adoption of an agri-business model of smallholder livestock farming could improve profitability and attract young people into this type of employment.