Milk production in twelve counties has doubled following interventions rolled out by the Kenya Crops and Dairy Market Systems (KCDMS) project.
Through the USAID-funded project, over 190,000 farmers in Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Homa Bay, Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Kisii, Kitui, Makueni and Taita Taveta counties have managed to double their daily production from 2 litres to 8 litres per cow, boosting their incomes.
KCDMS Chief of Party (CoP) Dr. Robert Mwadime said through the project, farmers have benefited from improved breeds and nutrition, which has seen an increase in the country’s dairy herd, narrowing the gap in milk production.
‘The demand for milk in the country is high and through these interventions, we are now producing about 60-70% of the milk consumed in the country,’ he said.
Speaking in Kisumu during a dairy learning event, Dr. Mwadime said farmers were determined to bridge the gap in production and called for support from the national and county governments to make the country’s milk sufficient.
The dairy sector, he said, was capable of providing employment opportunities for millions of Kenyans, adding that the interventions rolled out through KCDMS will go a long way in addressing challenges facing the sector.
KCDMS Dairy Coordinator Brenda Aluda attributed the success of the programme to breed improvement and deployment of modern technology in the project operation areas.
Farmers, she added, have benefited from extension services, improved breeding technologies, including artificial insemination, which has seen a marked improvement in their breeds, impacting positively on production.
This, she said, has seen conception rates improve from 56% to 64%, leading to the overall success of the project.
Aluda said when the project started, most of the farmers had traditional Zebu cows producing 1-4 litres per day, adding that with the improvements, the project targets hitting at least 10 litres per day.
Speaking on the same occasion, Kisumu governor’s spouse Dorothy Nyongo lauded the project, saying farmers in the area were set to reap big rewards from the sector.
‘The partnership has helped a lot and we are looking forward to seeing livelihoods improved so that our people can produce more milk and get proper nutrition,’ she said.
Lorence Adoyo, who offers Artificial Insemination services in Nyanza and Western region, said support from the project has seen the demand for the services shoot, resulting in improved breeds.
Source: Kenya News Agency