Laikipia farmers rake in Sh83m from milk sales

Dairy farmers in Laikipia County have reported a 12 per cent rise in earnings after adopting animal feed preservation last year.

Regional milk processor Brookside Dairy paid out Sh83 million last year, up from Sh73 million in 2015 for raw milk deliveries made to its Nyahururu plant.

Speaking during a dairy training organised by the processor for farmers at Ng’arua in Laikipia yesterday, Brookside Director of Milk Procurement John Gethi said the processor would continue to impart knowledge on feed preparation and conservation to ensure milk production remains optimum even during dry weather.

“We are currently undertaking lessons on hay preparation to all our 160,000 farmers countrywide to beat the effects of drought on milk production,” said Mr Gethi.

He challenged farmers to establish pasture grasses and fodder crops besides practising forage conservation during the rainy season, noting that seasonality of milk production was due to farmers’ dependence on rain-fed agriculture.

Mr Gethi said Brookside had undertaken major upgrades at its Nyahururu milk cooling plant to enable it receive and chill more than 100,000 litres of raw milk daily.