Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Livestock products constitute a major component of urban household diet across income
groups. However, Consumer concerns receive little attention in policy formulation given
the low profile such issues elicit and lack of credible consumer advocacy or lobby
groups. This situation is further complicated by the absence of informative studies on
urban or rural meat consumption patterns.
The study utilizes data from an urban consumption survey conducted in the Nairobi
metropolitan area by Tegemeo Institute using Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) sample
frame towards the end of 2003.
This study characterizes household meat consumption in Nairobi and compares per adult
equivalent consumption across income quintiles. It further examines the factors
influencing urban consumption including meat prices, channels of acquisition and the
traits of the household head for instance education, gender and age.
The results indicate that meat is consumed by a large proportion of the sample but
essentially remains a luxury good whose consumption increases with increasing income.
Middle and high-income households consume significantly large amounts of beef,
chicken and eggs within the home compared to low-income households. This
phenomenon reveals that health concerns especially for red meat do not necessarily
influence consumption levels for both low and high-income groups. However, the
consumption of chicken and eggs by high-income and educated groups appear to be
responding to health concerns. Chevron (goat meat) and mutton (sheep) are hardly
consumed at home. Channels of acquisition influence price and ultimately consumption
patterns especially for chicken and eggs where there exists some form of product
differentiation.
The foregoing implies that the potential to increase domestic consumption of meat exists
within the lower income groups but can only be harnessed through affordable prices or
higher incomes. As the Government focuses on increasing livestock productivity,
consumer concerns should, similarly be given due consideration.
Livestock development policies must adjust to changing consumer behaviour and
confront marketing inefficiencies that prevent the translation of productivity gains into
consumer gains.
