Simple yoghurt making equipment.
Kasipul Kabondo in Homa Bay County is famous for growing the sweetest potatoes in the market. So sweet and marketable are the produce, many potato traders in other parts normally lie that they are selling Kasipul Kabondo sweet potatoes, so that can get customers.
But slowly, in a bid to cope with harsh economic times, hundreds of sweet potato farmers are embracing alternative farming ventures like dairy keeping to boost their income.
Lucky for them, they have a secure market courtesy of a milk processing plant run by Kasbondo Dairy Cooperatives. The project was sponsored by International Livestock Research Institute at a cost of Sh27 million.
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Stories of hope
Some of the sweet potato farmers that have embraced dairy farming are Joseph Ojwang’ and Okal Okoko.
“To get better returns, I had to diversify from just growing sweet potatoes to rearing dairy cows for commercial purposes,’’ says Ojwang’.
Both farmers supply milk to Kasbondo and so far, they say it has been a worthwhile venture.
Okoko has nine cows that produce 130 litres of milk per day which he sells to the Kasbondo Dairy, which then processes it into yoghurt.
Since the milk processing plant was set up, Ojwang’ says milk production has increased significantly.
The variety of Mamarwa Vanilla yogurt and Mamarwa Mala and Ma Marwa Milk produced by Kasbondo Dairy Farmers Cooperative Plant. [Kepher Otieno, Standard]
“Sometimes, the milk supplies from farmers are so high, the dairy plant has to turn some producers away. It buys only 600 litres of milk per day. But that aside, the dairy offers us good prices,” says Ojwang’.
Kasbondo Dairy Cooperatives dairy manager Bernice Omondi admits that 600 litres of milk per day are way below the 5,000 litres target.
The raw milk is processed into mala and yoghurt and packed into 250ml and 500 ml bottles.
The 250ml bottle of yoghurt costs Sh45 while the 500ml costs Sh80. The drinks are branded MaMarwa Yoghurt and MaMarwa Mala, meaning this is ours.
But why can’t they buy all the milk?
Omondi says the original idea was to buy milk in bulk, store, process and sell to large processors such as New Kenya Cooperative of Creameries.
But this was not possible because the dairy lacks a pasteurizer milk.
“Milk is highly perishable because of microorganisms – especially bacterial pathogens. When the milk is pasteurised, which is basically boiling under high temps, the microorganisms cannot survive and the milk gets a longer shelf life,” explains Omondi a trained dairy technologist.
Better prices
Other than offering farmers a ready market, the dairy also gives better prices.
“We buy milk from farmers at Sh48 per litre while KCC buys at Sh20,” Omondi says.
Though the plant is now well established, one of the biggest challenges is the poor road network that affects deliveries to the dairy especially during the rainy season.
“We are appealing to the county government to rebuild the road leading to the factory,” says Ojwang’.
Challenges aside, for most farmers, the milk plant is a game-changer.
“Thanks to this plant, there is now a small revolution on dairy production. Like the big shots in Githunguri, we have learnt a lot about dairy keeping thanks to this plant.
"We know how to select the best breeds and how to boost milk production,” says Ojwang’.
For quality milk, all the farmers that have contracts with Kasbondo Dairy Cooperatives are required to work closely with professional veterinarians.
“This way, we ensure that the dairy cows are well taken care of and produce high quality milk,” says Omondi.
