Kenya’s meat exports to the Middle East have fallen to below 5% of expected volumes during the Ramadan peak, as regional conflict disrupts air transport and pushes freight costs sharply higher.
The Middle East is Kenya’s main market for meat exports, with the United Arab Emirates accounting for 40–60% of shipments, according to Nicholas Ngahu, CEO of the Kenya Meat and Livestock Exporters Industry Council. In normal periods, Kenya exports around $2.3 million worth of meat and animal products to the region each week.
Currently, exporters of fresh chilled meat including beef, lamb, mutton and goat are only able to send limited shipments to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, while exports to Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan have been heavily disrupted.
Ngahu said the sector is now operating below 15% of its normal export capacity, with Ramadan shipments dropping to less than 5% of expected levels.
The disruption is largely linked to reduced airline operations and rising cargo costs. According to Dennis Muraya, director of Konza Clearing Agency, exporters have been forced to rely on costly cargo charters into the UAE, with freight rates increasing from $1–$1.50 per kilogram to $3–$3.50, partly due to higher insurance costs associated with the conflict.
As a result, daily export volumes have dropped from about 200 metric tons to between 5 and 15 tons. Since March 8, exporters expected shipments to reach one million kilograms, but less than 50,000 kilograms have been delivered.
The crisis is also affecting the wider supply chain. Slaughterhouses, freight companies, livestock traders and farmers are all facing disruptions, while some exporters are redirecting meat to the local market at lower prices. Several abattoirs have also reduced casual labour by up to 80%.
Industry leaders warn that if the conflict continues beyond Ramadan, rising freight costs could threaten the survival of many businesses in Kenya’s meat export sector.
Source: Newstimehub
