Cost-effectiveness of running beef feedlot using locally available feed resources: a case of Isiolo and Kajiado Counties, Kenya.
Downloads
Feedlot finishing has the potential to stabilize beef supply and increase the quality of marketed beef products. The cost of running such feedlots using local feed resources is not widely documented to support investment. The purpose of this study was to examine the financial advantages of running an alternative feedlot that uses locally available feed resources such as Prosopis juliflora, Balanites aegyptiaca pods, and Acacia tortilis pods found in the Arid and Semi-arid Lands (ASALs) of Kenya. Data for this study were obtained from a controlled experiment conducted at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Beef Research Institute where 27 beef steers of Zebu, Boran, and Sahiwal crosses were fed on rations formulated with selected local feed resources obtained from Isiolo and Kajiado counties of Kenya. For 90 days, the animal weights were captured weekly, and the costs were recorded daily. Additional market data on costs were obtained from selected key informants in the beef value chain in the Counties of Isiolo and Kajiado. The viability of investing in a feedlot was evaluated using cost-benefit analysis, break-even analysis, and sensitivity analysis. The results showed that overall animal weight gain varied with the type of breed. The improved Boran (Animal 8F51) gained the highest weight followed by Sahiwal (9F65) in the experiment while Zebu gained the lowest. The findings showed that it is financially viable to operate a feedlot using locally available feed resources only if the targeted markets are value-added with better beef prices. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis showed that adjusting prices upwards by KES +6.00 in Isiolo and KES + 58.00 in Kajiado could make beef farmers who have adopted feedlot systems to achieve break-even. In conclusion, for the viability of feedlots that use local feed resources, there is a need to consistently source for value-added markets for better pricing and profitability. Policy-makers therefore need to critically evaluate and promote farmers’ access to these value-added markets.
Downloads
1. Amole, T., Augustine, A., Balehegn, M., & Adesogoan, A. T. (2022). Livestock feed resources in the West African Sahel. Agronomy Journal, 114(1), 26-45.
2. Bedada, K. W. (2021). Nutritional status of free-ranging tropical zebu dairy cows (Doctoral dissertation, Ghent University).
3. Badran, A. A., Magouz, F. I., Zaineldin, A. I., Abdo, S. E., Amer, A. A., Gewaily, M. S., & Dawood, M. A. (2024). Using a blend of oilseed meals in the diets of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): effects on the growth performance, feed utilization, intestinal health, growth, and metabolic-related genes. BMC Veterinary Research, 20(1), 529. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-024-04373-5.
4. Cowley, F. C., Syahniar, T. M., Ratnawati, D., Mayberry, D. E., Pamungkas, D., & Poppi, D. P. (2020). Greater farmer investment in well-formulated diets can increase liveweight gain and smallholder gross margins from cattle fattening. Livestock Science, 242, 104297.
5. Creemers J and Aranguiz AA Quick Scan of Kenya’s Forage Sub-Sector. Netherlands East African Dairy Partnership (NEADAP): Working Paper.
6. de Lemos, A. B. S., Chaves, G., Ribeiro, P. P. C., & da Silva Chaves Damasceno, K. S. F. (2023). Prosopis juliflora: nutritional value, bioactive activity, and potential application in human nutrition. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 103(12), 5659-5666.
7. Ferrinho, A. M., Peripolli, E., Banchero, G., Pereira, A. S. C., Brito, G., La Manna, A., ... & Baldi, F. (2019). Effect of growth path on carcass and meat-quality traits of Hereford steers finished on pasture or in feedlot. Animal Production Science, 60(2), 323-332.
8. Foster, A. D., & Rosenzweig, M. R. (2010). Microeconomics of Technology Adoption. Annu Rev Econom., 2(10). doi: 10.1146/annurev.economics.102308.124433.
9. Galyean, M. L., & Hales, K. E. (2023). Feeding management strategies to mitigate methane and improve production efficiency in feedlot cattle. Animals, 13(4), 758.
10. Gale, F., & Dong, F. (2023). China’s meat consumption: Growth potential. http://dx.doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.338955.
11. Gatsby Africa. (2022, July 27). Retrieved from https://www.gatsbyafrica.org.uk/livestock/
12. Godfray, H. C. J., Aveyard, P., Garnett, T., Hall, J. W., Key, T. J., Lorimer, J., ... & Jebb, S. A. (2018). Meat consumption, health, and the environment. Science, 361(6399), eaam5324.
13. Guelker, L. D. (2024). Effects of a nontraditional beef cattle finishing system on performance, carcass quality, and economics. Mississippi State University.
14. Greenwood, P. L. (2021). An overview of beef production from pasture and feedlot globally, as demand for beef and the need for sustainable practices increase. Animal, 15, 100295..
15. Habiba, U., Abedin, M. A., & Shaw, R. (2016). Food security, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk. Sustainable development and disaster risk reduction, 87-101.
16. Heller, M. C., Walchale, A., Heard, B. R., Hoey, L., Khoury, C. K., De Haan, S., & Jones, A. D. (2020). Environmental analyses to inform transitions to sustainable diets in developing countries: case studies for Vietnam and Kenya. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 25(7), 1183-1196.
17. Kahl, C. E. I. (2018). Enhancing animal welfare and improving production performance of feedlot cattle by introducing forms of environmental enrichment (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University).
18. Kemboi, F. (2018). Evaluation of the nutritive value of local browses from Kenya on performance of growing goats (small East African Toggenburg crosses. PhD Thesis, Egerton University.
19. Kenana, R. S., Onjoro, P. A., & Ambula, M. K. (2020). Relative palatability and preference by red Maasai sheep offered brachiaria and Rhodes grass hay supplemented with calliandra leaves in Kenya.
20. Kenya Meat Commission. (2015). Kenya Meat Commission Annual Report.
21. Kimaru, J. (2023). Viability of Hay Production as a Drought Resilient Climate-smart Strategy for the Pastoralist Systems of Kajiado (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
22. Kim, S. W., Less, J. F., Wang, L., Yan, T., Kiron, V., Kaushik, S. J., & Lei, X. G. (2019). Meeting global feed protein demand: challenge, opportunity, and strategy. Annual review of animal biosciences, 7(1), 221-243.
23. Kumar, P., Abubakar, A. A., Verma, A. K., Umaraw, P., Ahmed, M. A., Mehta, N., . . . Sazil, A. Q. (2022). Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 1-29.
24. Lynch, R., Henchion, M., Hyland, J. J., & Gutiérrez, J. A. (2022). Creating a rainbow for sustainability: The case of sustainable beef. Sustainability, 14(8), 4446.
25. Maciel, I. C., Schweihofer, J. P., Fenton, J. I., Hodbod, J., McKendree, M. G. S., Cassida, K., & Rowntree, J. E. (2021). Influence of beef genotypes on animal performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and sensory characteristics in grazing or feedlot-finished steers. Translational Animal Science, 5(4), txab214.
26. Malafaia, P., Granato, T. A. L., Costa, R. M., Souza, V. C. D., Costa, D. F. A., & Tokarnia, C. H. (2016). Major health problems and their economic impact on beef cattle under two different feedlot systems in Brazil. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira, 36(09), 837-843.
27. Mainville, D., & Narayan, T. (2017). Pull Mechanisms for Overcoming Market Failures in the Agriculture sector: Initial Lessons Learned with Case Illustrations from AgResults’ Kenya On-Farm Storage Pilot. Washington DC: World Bank.
28. Makini, F., Mose, L., & Kamau, G. (2019). Innovation Opportunities in Dairy Livestock in Kenya. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.
29. Meneses, X. C. A., Park, R. M., Ridge, E. E., & Daigle, C. L. (2021). Hourly activity patterns and behaviour-based management of feedlot steers with and without a cattle brush. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 236, 105241.
30. Mawazo, M. M., Kisangiri, M., & Jesuk, K. (2014). Agricultural Market Information Services in Developing Countries: A Review. ACSIJ Advances in Computer Science: an International Journal, 3(3, No. 9). Retrieved from https://dspace.mm-aist.ac.tz
31. Mutai, P. A., Nandwa, A., Sergon, P., Oliech, G. O., Yator, M., Meso, D. N., & Koech, J. K. (2022). Nutritive Value, Tannin Bioassay and Processing Effects of Acacia brevispica, A. mellifera and A. tortilis Pods as Potential Supplements for Growing Small East African Goats (SEAGs) in Baringo County-Kenya. African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 7(1), 89-94.
32. Ndiritu, S. W. (2020). Beef value chain analysis and climate change adaptation and investment options in the semi-arid lands of northern Kenya. Journal of Arid Environments, 181, 104216.
33. Nguhiu-Mwangi, J. (2023). Cattle Welfare in Smallholder Dairy and Pastoralist Beef Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Cattle Welfare in Dairy and Beef Systems: A New Approach to Global Issues (pp. 403-431). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
34. Osuga, I. M., Abdulrazak, S. A., Ichinohe, T., Ondiek, J. O., & Fujihara, T. (2006). Degradation characteristics and tannin bioassay of some browse forage from Kenya harvested during the dry season. Animal Science Journal, 77(4), 414-421.
35. Pacheco, R. F., Machado, D. S., Viana, A. F. P., Teixeira, J. S., & Milani, L. (2021). Comparison of the effects of slow-release urea vs conventional urea supplementation on some finishing cattle parameters: A meta-analysis. Livestock Science, 250, 104549.
36. Pereira, M. C. S., Dellaqua, J. V. T., Sousa, O. A., Santi, P. F., Felizari, L. D., Reis, B. Q., ... & Millen, D. D. (2020). Feedlot performance, feeding behavior, carcass and rumen morphometrics characteristics of Nellore cattle submitted to strategic diets prior the adaptation period. Livestock Science, 234, 103985.
37. Sagala, J. I., Gachuiri, C. K., Kuria, S. G., & Wanyoike, M. M. (2020). Nutritive value of selected preferred forage species by lactating camels in the peri-urban area of Marsabit town, Kenya. . Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 37(3), 218.
38. Slayi, M., Zhou, L., & Jaja, I. F. (2023). Constraints inhibiting farmers’ adoption of cattle feedlots as a climate-smart practice in rural communities of the eastern cape, South Africa: An In-Depth Examination. Sustainability, 15(20), 14813.
39. Shashank, C. G., Prashant, R. G., Kumar, P., Kulkarni, N. A., Tiwari, M., Jayakumar, S., & Sejian, V. (2023). Comparative assessment of growth performance of indigenous and cross-bred calves subjected to combined stressors (heat and nutritional). International Journal of Biometeorology, 67(9), 1435-1450.
40. Tura, I., Ondiek, J., Kingo’ri, A., & Onjoro, P. (2021). Proximate composition of selected browses and common milk supplements for camel calves in Kenya. International Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, 6(5), 31-39.
41. Tura I., Mwangi P., Kemboi F., Kashongwe O., Ndung'u C., Metto V., Kaburu P & Kiprop J (2024) Performance of improved Boran, improved Boran x Sahiwal and Small East African Zebu cattle finished on silage and grass-based rations in Kenya. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 36, Article #40. Retrieved January 16, 2025, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd36/4/3640kemb.htm
42. Trotter, A. (2020). Effect of Marketing through Value Added and Video Sales on Feeder Cattle Prices.
43. USAID. (2020). USAID Kenya livestock market systems activity expanding economic opportunities Award. USAID-Kenya. Retrieved from https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00XBKR.pdf
44. Urso, P. M., Turgeon, A., Ribeiro, F. R., Smith, Z. K., & Johnson, B. J. (2021). the effects of dust on feedlot health and production of beef cattle. Journal of Applied Animal Research, 49(1), 133-138.
45. Tabu, J. O., Syomiti, M., Magogo, J., Achieng, J., Kidake, B., Manyeki, J., & Mbuku, S. (2025). Enhancing rural livelihoods in ASALS through feedlot finisher ration validation for small ruminants' early markets. Journal of Agriculture and Agronomy (JAA), 2(1), 15-26.
46. Vichare, S. A., & Morya, S. (2024). Exploring waste utilization potential: nutritional, functional and medicinal properties of oilseed cakes. Frontiers in Food Science and Technology, 4, 1441029.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kaburu Purity, Dr. Tura Isako, Metto Veronica, Patrick Githui Mwangi, Dr. Fred Kemboi, Catherine Wanjiru Ndung'u, Scolastica Nanjala Nambafu

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.