By MKT Reporter
Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke has announced plans to double milk earnings to over Sh80 billion by 2027 through enhanced feeding programs, disease control, and extension services.
The Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) aims to increase milk production from 5.2 billion litres annually to 11 billion litres by 2027, focusing on increasing both volume and value while strengthening farmers’ financial bases.
The government has made significant policy changes, such as moving from quantity-based payments to quality-based payments, which will pay farmers based on the quality of milk they produce.
Mueke also aims to expand production into the rest of the country, targeting Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), youth, and women to help reach the target of 10.5 billion litres by 2027.
The government is also investing in dairy production to ensure safety and promote bio-safety, with Bio Foods, funded by USAID, running safe milk campaigns.
Margaret Kibogy, Managing Director of KDB, stated that compliance with milk has improved from 80 per cent in 2017 to 96 per cent by 2022.
The government plans to spend Sh4 billion in the next five years on interventions enhancing feeding, breeding, disease control, and farmer extension services, aiming to increase productivity per cow from five to 10 litres per day.
The Kenya dairy sector provides livelihood to an estimated 1.8 million smallholder households, employing 750,000 people directly and 500,000 indirectly.
Kiambu County has been the highest milk producer in the country for the last five years, with an annual production of 430 million liters.
Suleiman Mbatiah