Murang’a County is reaping big from betting on backing a cooperative society to drive milk production for 43,000 dairy farmers as output shoots to the roof.
The rise in output has lined the pockets of the county’s farmers and milk transporters attached to Murang’a County Creameries (MCC) with Sh127 million after producers registered high production over the past two years.
The county government-backed MCC has set up 35 milk coolers, provided free and guaranteed artificial insemination services, supplied free high yielding fodder the — Kakamega 1 from Kenya Agricultural Research Institute — and sweet potato vines to its members to boost productivity.
“Provision of animal feeds, that includes fodder, sweet potato vines and subsided artificial insemination are some of the interventions behind the success of the sector that has turned to be a major income earner in Murang’a,” said Governor Mwangi wa Iria.
Dairy farmers in the county have since registered an increase in production from 5,000 kilogrammes to 127,000 kilogrammes a day on high investments.
Contracted milk transporters, charging Sh2 per kilogramme have helped in cutting down losses, collecting the produce from farmers and delivering it to the 35 coolers installed across the county.
This has helped stabilise prices at an average of Sh35 per kilogramme, prompting more farmers to join MCC.
Murang’a county government in 2014/2015 bought 35 milk coolers, which were donated to the dairy co-operatives to support the sub-sector, which was identified as one of the economic pillars with a huge potential in the county.
Youths have benefited from high quality dairy cows which they purchase using loans and pay through deductions from milk deliveries.
The governor said a milk processing plant in Maragua will be operational in three months and handle surplus produce after deliveries to the contracted processor.
