Kenya’s meat exports to the Middle East have fallen sharply to below 5% of expected levels during the peak Ramadan season, as the ongoing conflict in the region disrupts air routes and drives up freight costs, industry officials say.
The Middle East is Kenya’s largest export market for meat, with the United Arab Emirates typically accounting for 40% to 60% of shipments, according to Nicholas Ngahu, CEO of the Kenya Meat and Livestock Exporters Industry Council. Under normal conditions, Kenya exports around $2.3 million worth of meat and animal products to the region every week.
However, exporters of fresh chilled meat—including beef, lamb, mutton and goat—are now sending only limited volumes to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, while exports to markets such as Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan have also been severely disrupted.
Ngahu said the industry is currently operating below 15% of its normal export capacity, with shipments during Ramadan dropping to less than 5% of expected volumes.
The disruption is largely due to airline service reductions and soaring freight costs. According to Dennis Muraya, director of Konza Clearing Agency, exporters are increasingly relying on expensive cargo charters into the UAE, with transport costs rising from $1–$1.50 per kilogram to as much as $3–$3.50 per kilogram, partly due to higher insurance costs linked to the conflict.
As a result, daily export volumes during Ramadan have dropped from the usual 200 metric tons to just 5–15 tons. Since March 8, the industry expected to export around one million kilograms, but less than 50,000 kilograms have actually been shipped.
The crisis is also affecting the broader supply chain. Slaughterhouses are struggling to process stock quickly enough, some exporters are redirecting meat to the domestic market at lower prices, and several abattoirs have reduced casual labour by up to 80%.
Industry leaders warn that if the conflict continues beyond Ramadan, freight costs could become unsustainable, threatening the survival of many businesses in Kenya’s meat export sector.
Source: TRT Africa
