The Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe has flagged off 13 milk coolers to dairy farmer groups in Runyenjes and Manyatta in Embu County.
The initiative marks a significant milestone in boosting milk productivity, improving quality, and enhancing farmer incomes across the county.
Installed at a cost of Ksh 77.93M , the milk coolers will benefit over 3,900 farmers, enabling aggregation of 25,000L of milk per day, valued at Ksh 1.125M daily, and translating to 9.12M litres annually, worth Ksh 410.6M.
By improving milk storage and quality, farmers can now venture into value addition, producing milk powder and other dairy products for sale, both locally and in export markets.
This comes shortly after the government banned the importation of milk powder, creating greater opportunities for local processors.
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The coolers are expected to transform aggregation centres into vibrant business hubs, generating employment and stimulating auxiliary services within the dairy ecosystem.
CS Kagwe reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the dairy value chain, reducing post-harvest losses, and stabilizing farmer incomes, through targeted investments and supportive policies.
He further noted that the State Department for Livestock Development will continues to scale up farmer support through subsidies on vaccination, sexed semen, and affordable animal feeds, ensuring a vibrant, profitable, and sustainable dairy sector that serves both local and international markets.
By Juma Ndigo
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