Samburu farmers cry foul over dipping livestock prices

Samburu farmers have called on the national and county governments to intervene to stabilize dipping livestock prices as supply soars with parents flocking markets to sell stock for school fees.

Mathew Lenasiu, one of the many herders who turned up at Maralal livestock market to sell two cows to raise schools for his teenage children who are in high school, told Citizen Digital that the money he fetched from the two cows could not even clear fees for one child.

“We are asking the government to help us get market for our livestock in other counties across the country because we are fully dependent on livestock to raise money to sustain our families,” Matthew Lenasiu said.

Dickson Lenayara, a farmer, said that livestock prices dipped following an influx of middlemen from “Nairobi” who flocked their markets to take advantage of the increased supply.

Leneyara said bad roads were also to blame since many farmers can not afford to transport livestock to other markets and have to depend on middlemen who offer low prices.