The nine steps to run a successful dairy farm

Workers at Naisambu dairy farm in Trans Nzoia County [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

Dairy farming has gained currency in Kenya thanks to the increase in population and demand for quality milk. With a litre of milk from the farm selling for as much as Sh60, the industry is lucrative. Most farmers have adopted semi- or zero-grazing systems of production thus concentrating on production per cow. This means keeping a few highly productive cows. Our grandfathers were famous for keeping many heads of cattle with very little production. Some farmers have gone into raising and selling in-calf heifers at a premium of as high as Sh150,000. For those interested, it is prudent to bear in mind the following before you get into it: