Brookside targets more milk from farmers

By Standard Reporter

Dairy industry operators are optimistic that the sub-sector is destined for better times. This is as the Government seeks to enhance its contribution to the economy, currently standing at 14 per cent of the agricultural Gross domestic product.

Industry players who attended the recent Brookside Livestock Breeders Show and Sale noted that dairy farming is a profit oriented growth industry. They said the sector has the potential to provide employment, especially among the youth in rural areas.

According to Brookside Dairy Executive chairman Muhoho Kenyatta, the company plans to increase the daily milk production volumes for each cow kept by its 145,000 contracted farmers.

“An increase in volumes would assure our farmers of a better take-home package out of milk sales to processors, as it would accord them the benefits of economies of scale,” Kenyatta observed during the official opening of the Show.  The Show was opened by Deputy President William Ruto.

According to official statistics by industry regulator Kenya Dairy Board (KDB), Kenya produces an estimated 3.12 billion litres of milk per annum. Of this, 2.2 billion litres is marketed. The industry supports a million smallholder households in the country. “Key in our strategy is to use the Livestock Show as a forum to inspire the youth to consider dairy farming as a source of gainful employment.  “Indeed, our farmers are beginning to appreciate dairy farming as a lucrative venture that has the requisite inertia to propel the economy of our country.”

Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries cabinet secretary Felix Kosgei said his ministry had lined up a raft of policy amendments to make dairy farming a profitable commercial undertaking.

Kosgey said the State will transform dairy from being a subsistence practice to a commercial venture capable of providing direct employment.

dominant player

By October last year, there were a total of 42 dairy plants in the country. Brookside leads the pack with close to 45 per cent of the total market share of raw milk. The processor has the largest raw milk collection network spread in some 30 cooling stations countrywide.

Over the same period, Brookside had registered a total raw milk intake of 123 million litres, followed by New KCC. Githunguri Dairy, according to the KDB figures, were placed third with 56 million litres, while Buzeki Dairy said to have been acquired by Brookside, had processed 23 million litres.

Sameer Agriculture finished at fifth position in raw milk intake volumes with 18 million litres. Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries indicate that Kenya has an estimated cattle population of 11.5 million heads, with dairy accounting for 3.3 million and beef, mainly Zebu taking up the remainder.

Kenya Livestock Show Trust chairman, Jimmy Brooks, said this year’s livestock show attracted the participation of the highest number of international judges, thereby reaffirming the ever-growing stature of the biennial event.

“The livestock show is a forum for creating interest in the sub-sector, which is showing great potential for turning the wheels of the national economy,” Brooks, a member of the Boran Cattle Society of Kenya, said.

John Gethi, Brookside’s General Manager in charge of milk procurement and extension services, said the company had lined up training programmes to build the capacity of its farmers in modern husbandry practices.

The move is seen as the processor’s strategy to consolidate its raw milk collection footprint in the country, as it prepares for the commissioning of an ultra-modern dry milk plant by year-end.

However, livestock experts are blaming dependence on rain-fed agriculture as a major constraint to the full exploitation of the dairy industry.