Small Ruminants’ Meat Consumption Patterns in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The per capita consumption of livestock products is rising fastest in regions where there is urbanization and rapid income growth as people add variety to their diets. Urban consumers are the key movers of small ruminants’ meat demand. Past research studies have focused mainly on production aspects with little focus on the small ruminants’ meat consumption patterns. Thus, this study aims at filling the gap by providing information on patterns of small ruminants’ meat consumption among different categories of urban consumers with respect to its own-price, price of other meats and total expenditures. Multistage and simple random sampling procedures were used to select a total of two hundred respondents from Dagoretti, Kibera, Central and Pumwani divisions in Nairobi County. This study employed descriptive statistics and an extended ideal demand system model to determine the patterns of small ruminants’ meat consumption. In all the income groups, own price-price elasticities were negative and high for small ruminants’ indicating that price for mutton and chevon greatly influence the demand for small ruminants’ meat. The income elasticities for small ruminants’ meats are greater than one in all income groups, implying that mutton and chevon are luxury goods for all income groups irrespective of their income levels. Dissemination of these findings is important to both the scientists and extension workers to educate and encourage the producers to increase production which would result in increased income and improved livelihood of the people