Ruto praises Meru farmers, pledges Sh100m feed factory

President William Ruto and Meru Central Dairy Union CEO Kenneth Gitonga sampling one of the dairy products at the union's processing plant near Meru town, yesterday, Saturday, June 17, 2023.

President William Ruto has commended the Meru Dairy Farmers Union for its remarkable growth and pledged a sum of Sh100 million for the establishment of a feed factory.

During his visit to the farmers' field day alongside Deputy Rigathi Gachagua, President Ruto expressed his administration's commitment to provide an additional Sh100 million to supplement the union's existing Sh200 million for the facility's establishment.

"I extend my congratulations to Meru Central Dairy for the outstanding work you have done in empowering dairy farmers. The government will offer its support to help you achieve even greater heights," he said.

Ruto added, "Your leaders have informed me about the land acquisition here in Imenti and your plans to produce your own animal feeds, ensuring adherence to quality standards. With Sh200 million already allocated to this project, the national government will provide an additional Sh100 million, as we are determined to assist you in accomplishing your goals."

Ruto explained that due to the high cost of heifers, ranging from Sh200,000 to Sh250,000, the government has devised a plan to provide farmers with sexed semen.

"We have allocated nearly Sh1 billion to establish bull stations. Currently, we have stations in Kabete and Kitale, and we have sufficient bull stations. The missing component is the machine for manufacturing sexed semen. In the upcoming budget, which will be passed next week, we have allocated Sh400 million to procure the necessary equipment," he said.

Ruto told farmers they will save between Sh5,000 to Sh8,000, which is the current cost of sexed semen. Additionally, he guarantees that the price will be significantly lower.

"Starting from December this year, our aim is to manufacture sexed semen in Kenya and offer it at a price not exceeding Sh1,500," he said, highlighting that farmers from all regions of the country will benefit from this initiative.

He further said 500,000 doses of sexed semen will be produced using local bulls.

"We have the capability to breed high-grade cows using our bulls," he asserts. The president further states that the government is actively working to reduce the cost of production.

"At present, we are obtaining four billion liters of milk annually, with an average yield of three to five kilos per cow. Our goal is to increase this to 10 to 15 liters per cow. We need to double our production," he said.

To support this endeavour, he said all materials used in the production of animal feed are now zero-rated, ensuring affordability for the majority of farmers.

Kenneth Gitonga and Simeon Kiruja, the union's chairman, said despite the plant's capacity to process more, they are currently receiving 406,000 liters of milk daily.

With a membership of 400,000 farmers, the union stands as one of the most robust farmers' societies in Meru, surpassing even the combined numbers of coffee and tea farmers. Gitonga said farmers could potentially produce even more milk if not for the high cost of feed.