Nyanza farmers to benefit as Brookside eyes region for raw milk

John Gethi, Brookside's Director of milk procurement (c) presents a milk collection truck to the chairman of Rongo Dairy, Mr Maurice Ariyo at a past function in Ruiru. The truck was delivered to Rongo yesterday.

Dairy farmers in Nyanza are set for better returns from their farming activities after a giant milk industry player set out to capture the untapped source for raw milk.

Brookside Dairies Ltd has cast wider its raw milk collection to the region as it seeks to increase milk intake following expansion of its processing facilities which has seen its daily milk needs rise to over 1.5 million litres.

Director of milk procurement John Gethi said the processor has partnered with dairy farmers in Migori, Kisii and Nyamira counties in its first phase of farmer recruitment targeting the higher altitude areas of Nyanza region.

In a speech read on his behalf by Davis Mwangoma, the processor's Regional Manager when he presented a collection truck to Rongo Dairy co-operative society in Migori county at the weekend, Gethi challenged farmers in the area to diversify into dairy farming in order to spread risks associated with crop farming.

"The potential for the growth of dairy in this region is enormous. We are challenging farmers here to invest in dairy, which assures them of regular monthly income. We are working with both the Central and County governments of Migori to encourage farmers to adopt commercial dairy farming," Mr Gethi said.

"Farmers contracted to us are guaranteed one thing: payment for every kilo of milk purchased from them. Time has now come for all farmers to embrace dairy as an opportunity for gainful economic development," he added.

He asked farmers to market their milk through formal channels, such as processors, saying that hawking market could not guarantee regular income. Gethi asked individual farmers to join dairy groups in order to benefit from economies of scale through bulking of their raw milk, which fetches better market prices.

He disclosed that Brookside was working with Commercial Bank of Africa on a financing scheme to enable farmers access loans to purchase tricycles, commonly known as tuktuks for transportation of raw milk.

"Tuktuks are preferable in navigating nearly all types of terrain. They are also a cost effective means of transporting raw milk from farmers to the cooling centres," Gethi said.

He said the processor had lined up a series of dairy training courses in the area to empower farmers on best practice in dairy animal husbandry.

Rongo Dairy Chairman Maurice Ariyo commended Brookside for its entry into the area, saying it would help eliminate exploitation by middlemen and hawkers of raw milk.

"We have signed a raw milk supply contract with Brookside assuring us of a ready market throughout the year at a competitive price. Our farmers will benefit from regular monthly payments to enable them meet their financial needs," he said.