The national government plans to double milk earnings to more than Sh80 billion by 2027 through enhanced feeding programmes, disease control and extension services and exports. Livestock Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke (pictured) confirmed yesterday that courageous strategies are being pursued to increase earnings to the farmers.
“Kenya is producing 5.2 billion litres annually and plans to increase the same to 11 billion litres by 2027. Our goal is to focus on increasing both volume and value of the same to ensure the farmers financial base has been strengthened,” he said.
Annual exports
The government also seeks to further grow annual exports of dairy produce to one billion litres of milk equivalent by 2027, equivalent to 200 million litres annually.
Efforts, Mueke said would be fast-tracked to manufacture rich and high- end products and thus earn more money to the small-scale farmers. To grow the milk volumes, he explained that the government will equally target the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), and more equally target the youth and women.
“The efforts will be over and above running safe milk campaigns in the country,” Mueke said during the launch of Strategic Plan 2023-2024 at Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) headquarters in Kabete, Nairobi.
KDB Managing director Margaret Kibogy explained that the organisation will spend Sh4 billion in the next five years to finance interventions enhancing feeding, breeding, disease control and farmer extension services. This, she said will help in increasing productivity per cow from five to 10 litres per day.
