ELGEYO MARAKWET, Kenya – The wool market has undergone significant changes in recent decades due to the depletion of demand for synthetic fibres.
For example, Australia, which produces nearly two-thirds of the world’s wool, and New Zealand, with its finer wool, are competitors for Kenyan and other African wool.
Despite all the difficulties, Kenya’s wool production has been rising recently, having previously decreased along with the country’s lamb supply.
Y News is aware that variables like fibre length, consistency, strength, colour, and impurities are considered when evaluating the quality of wool.
Against this backdrop, commercial sheep farming has been the main source of revenue for Mzee Chepting Kaino, a farmer in Kapcherop, Elgeyo-Marakwet County.
During a recent visit to his farm, Kaino told Y News that he had specialised in the shearing sheep business for the past two decades.
“I shear 45 to 60 sheep in a day. It takes me at least five minutes to shear an animal that yields two to five kilogrammes of wool. It costs Sh 30 to shear one sheep,” said Kaino.
Kaino, a father of five, generates a reasonable income from wool production to support his family due to increased production following the revival of collapsed garment factories in the region.
Most farmers in the North Rift region are currently re-stocking their flock due to increased demand for wool by garment factories in Eldoret and Nakuru towns.
Which regions in Kenya thrive in wool production
Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties are the top producers of wool and the biggest buyers of wool in the North Rift region. The Eldoret-based Ken-Knit facility is also one of the country’s largest wool buyers.
Kaino revealed that as he goes about his work, someone is always on call to provide healing oil to the animal in case the shearing machine injures it. After completing his task, he returns the animal to the fields for grazing.
Raising sheep is a significant economic activity in the vast, rolling area, more than 3,000 metres above sea level.
In the region, regular low temperatures can reach 50C. When the weather is chilly, the animal produces more wool.
Another sheep farmer from Kapsowar, Moses Kiptoo, said:
“We ensure we feed them well the rest of the time to get the 3kg to 5kg from each.”
The wool is bulked up and sold by the collectively organised farmers to clothing factories, which then purchase, clean, and export the wool.
The farmers disclosed that a sheep must weigh at least 30 kg to gather wool.
“You will not get the best quality if you harvest wool from a younger sheep,” Kaino said.
According to Kaino, the length and quality of the finished product determine how different sheep breeds’ wool is categorised. They raise Merinos and Corriedales.
How sheep breeds’ wool is categorised
One categorisation that stands out is C1, which states that the wool was sheared from a Corriedale sheep.
M1 and M9 are also sheared from Merino sheep and lamb, respectively. Conversely, X1 wool, taken from under the belly or the head, is the lowest-grade wool.
“M1 sells for Sh 265 per kg, while C1 sells for Sh 260. However, if the wool is cleaned before sold, the cost may reach Sh 700 per kg, and we lack the facilities to accomplish that,” Kiptoo continued.
Y News is aware that M1 and X1 produce clothing, mats, blankets, and duvets, while C1 makes woolen clothes. The wool’s strength, quality, and length are used to grade it.
“Wool is a fantastic material. Like it does on the sheep, it controls body temperature. Rather than struggling against the fabric, your body cooperates with it. Wool doesn’t need to be washed as often because it is naturally antibacterial and comfortable to wear for extended periods, according to Kiptoo.
In addition to selling wool, they can make additional money by selling sheep, which can fetch anywhere from Sh 4,000 to Sh 10,000, depending on the time of year.
Additionally, they milk the animals, obtaining one to two litres from each. Despite having a high butterfat concentration comparable to goat milk, it is utilised at home because there is no market for it.
Depending on the breed and management techniques, Kenyan sheep can mature anywhere from six to twelve months.
Y News established that the optimal feed for sheep is a blend of grass, forage, and supplements to provide a well-rounded diet.
What are some of the challenges sheep farmers face
Nonetheless, the farmers attribute the region’s declining wool production to land fragmentation and a lack of high-quality breeds.
“The majority of farmers are discouraged from growing their flock due to the high cost of quality breeds and land pressure for other agricultural purposes,” stated Jackson Kiptugen of Chebiemit.
Through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, farmers who allege that severe weather and predators kill their animals are now pleading with the government to assist them in improving their sheep breed and producing more wool.
Experts say parasites like ticks and mites cause sheep to lose their wool.
“The animal loses its wool due to parasite irritation, which makes it scratch itself against the wall. For this reason, it’s critical to dip the animals routinely. Spraying is not advised since the chemicals might not get to the animals,” explained livestock specialist Michael Wahowe.
Wahowe said that wool loss can also be caused by a lack of minerals like selenium, zinc, and copper, which give wool its colour.
“The sheep house must be raised, have a good aeration, and the floor perforated to allow the droppings to pass through the ground,” he stated.
Wahowe also exhorted sheep producers to clean their sheep pens to stave off pests and illnesses.
The expert also said that frequent deworming of the sheep is necessary.
