Kenya, Egypt hold talks for KMC to export meat to Cairo

The Government of Kenya is in talks with Cairo in a bid to have the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) begin making exports to the North African nation.

As it stands, Egypt imports meat from Australia and Brazil with the average distance between the two nations and Cairo approximately 11,000 kilometres. A kilogram of beef in Cairo currently retails at Ksh. 850, which is double the price of the same quantity of meat in Nairobi.  

 “There is a big market here for meat and livestock products because Egyptians eat a lot of meat,” Jeff Otieno the Kenyan Ambassador to Egypt told Citizen TV.

The meat market in Kenya has been growing steadily over the years with over 14.4 million livestock slaughtered in the country in 2020 alone; a 31 per cent increase from 2019.  The increased production, coupled with Kenya’s proximity to Egypt as opposed to the current trade partners has led to dialogue about a potential trade partnership.

“There is already engagement between KMC and Egyptian authorities regarding the issue. This has been going on for I’d say two years. So my expectation is that we should be able to see Kenyan Meat in the Egyptian Market in the near future hopefully within the next six months or so.”  

With Kenya and Egypt both members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), this could be the opportune time for Nairobi to venture into the meat exporting business. Under the COMESA agreement, all goods exported to member states enjoy complete exemption from all customs duties, fees and other taxes.

In 2020, Kenya exported goods worth over Ksh.20 billion with the most common products exported being tea, flowers and fruits.