Reports

Reports

 

Download the Chairmans Report 2019

Guest of Honour, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to start by congratulating all members for their support to the Society in the past year.

Am proud of each one of you.

As you are aware the year started with very favourable climatic conditions especially during the long rains. Most of our pastures regenerated fully. But this abundance came with its own challenges of disease. I know some of you recorded some mortalities. Let us take this experience as a lesson learnt and let us be keen to follow our vaccination calendar. As we have always said, let us join efforts in securing some of these vital vaccines.

During the short rains, most of our farmers experienced depressed rainfall. This means disaster to us. This situation has been complicated by the delayed, depressed and erratic long rains in the current calendar year. We need to adopt some climate mitigations and resilient interventions in our production system for food, feed and nutrition security and higher incomes.

Guest of Honour, Ladies and Gentlemen, may I take this opportunity to highlight some milestones in the past one year;

  1. Participation in Livestock Breeders Show and Sale 9-11 Aug, 2018
  2. Participation in Dorper sheep farmers training by Judge Hennie from Botswana on 13th August, 2018 at MRTC
  3. Participated in the Narok County Livestock Show and Sale on 2nd and 3rd January, 2019
  4. Dorper sheep farmers field day at Mparos Farm in Sultan Hamud on 16th March, 2019.
  5. Initiation of Dorper sheep Breeding Programme supported by AU-IBAR on 1st April, 2019 and 3rd April, 2019 for Kajiado and Narok Counties respectively.
  6. Visit to Principal Secretary State Department of Livestock on 18th April, 2019, at Kilimo House by two committee members. The agenda was to seek support for implementation of our Dorper Sheep breeding Programme. 

Upcoming activities are planned as follows;

  1. Continuation of the implementation of Dorper sheep breeding programme.
  2. Dorper sheep farmers field day in Narok County scheduled for July2019.
  3. Participation in Nairobi International Trade Fair in September, 2019
  4. Fundraise for the participation of 2020 edition of Livestock Breeders Show and Sale.

Guest of Honour, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to mention some challenges that our society continues to experience and which we all have to strive to overcome, in order for us to reap the intended benefits;

  1. High cost of breeding stock
  2. Un-streamlined marketing system
  3. High cost of farm inputs
  4. Climate change
  5. Limited resource base for the society
  6. Minimal inspection and registration of our flock

Lastly, ladies and gentlemen, the society looks forward to working with the Department of Livestock Production, Development Partners and County Governments with the ultimate aim of empowering Dorper sheep farmers to overcome their challenges and improve their livelihood. It is the vision of this society to be the lead in promoting the benefits and care of the Dorper sheep breed through training and be the preferred supplier of Dorper Sheep for hobby farmers, commercial producers, stud breeders and mutton marketers. 

Through partnership with stakeholders like Livestock Recording Centre (LRC), KLBA, KLPA, the society shall endeavour to supply the highest quality lambs and breeding stock (ewes and rams) at a competitive price to our clients and provide information and consultation service to assist producers in buying, selling and efficient management of Dorper sheep flocks countrywide. I do urge all farmers including the prospective ones and the service providers to register as members and be together as we steer the society to the next level.

Lastly, I take this opportunity to thank the DSBSK executive committee for their commitment to this course.

Thank you and welcome to the AGM.

Cleopas Gathara Wahome 

Chairman