Dorper sheep farming is gaining momentum and experts are calling on more farmers to invest in the highly profitable yet less-exploited venture.
Henry Kioko, a Livestock Enterprise Growth Expert and livestock importer and exporter, says the current Dorper sheep market is promising, driven by the high demand for Dorper mutton from both local and international buyers particularly in the Gulf nations.
“There is currently a high demand for Dorper mutton and live Dorper sheep from exporters to Arab nations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. This demand is driven by cultural practices, population growth, and the region’s reliance on imports to meet consumption needs,” says Mr. Kioko, a top importer based in East Africa and representative of Karoo Livestock.
According to Kioko, the Middle East market prioritizes sheep that are in excellent condition, healthy, well-fed, and that adhere to Halal requirements.
Dorper meat is regarded as prime lamb due to its excellent conformation (body structure) and favorable fat distribution, making it the most sought-after.
In terms of target weight, Kioko says buyers mostly prefer young “prime lambs” which are typically 4 to 6 months old and weigh around 11 kg (dressed weight). The younger age ensures tender and softer meat, which commands a premium price.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are major importers of sheep and goat meat, as well as live animals. The market offers significant opportunities for producers to expand their local production.
“There is a big shortage of full-blood genetics Dorper mutton. Most animals available are crosses, which attract lower prices compared to full blood dorper mutton. That’s an opportunity for East African producers. We encourage farmers to venture in mass production full blood Dorper for mutton.”
“A certain exporter is hoping to do 1500 heads weekly starting 1st March 2026,” Kioko adds.
Dorper, a sheep breed developed in South Africa, is known for its superior characteristics, including resistance to diseases and high tolerance to harsh environmental conditions.
Even though the breed is said to gain market weight faster due to its good grazing ability than the indigenous breeds, feedlotting is emerging as the best method of fastening the market weight-gaining process.
Feedlot is a system where animals are confined and fed high-quality feeds to reach market weight faster.
“The success of such venture will be driven by genetics. Top genetics that will hit the target of 4-6 months,” Kioko notes.
George Keya, the national coordinator of the AgriFi Kenya Climate Smart Agricultural Productivity Project, says that for the feed lotting system to be profitable, one needs a minimum of 40 sheep.
“We can estimate that within three months if you have between 40 and even 100 Dorper sheep, you can make Sh1 million.” He says.
Dr Margaret Syomiti, principal investigator of the AgriFi Kenya Climate Smart Agricultural Productivity Project says Dorper sheep are usually fed 1.5kg of the feeds every day for three months.
This ensures they acquire the 45kg weight recommended. She says the high nutrition given to the early maturing Dorper sheep has a fast growth rate.
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