KENYA – Dairy production in Nyeri County, one of the 47 devolved units of government in Kenya, recorded a 12% rise in 2022 thanks to robust dairy development programs implemented by the county government in partnership with other stakeholders.

According to the county government of Nyeri, production in the financial year 2021/2022 amounted to 127.9 million litres, representing a 12% jump when compared to the 111.7 million litres recorded in the year prior.

Dairy farming is one of the most popular enterprises in Nyeri county with farmers in all the 8 sub-counties engaged in the activity. The main cattle breeds in Nyeri county include Fresians, Ayshires, Guernsey and Jerseys.

 The rise in milk production in the county is attributed to various interventions put in place by the Nyeri county Government to ensure a sufficient supply of milk that would satisfy the demand for local consumption as well as commercial purposes.

These interventions include the provision of infrastructure such as the provision of 31 milk coolers from both the county government and the national government and six milk pasteurizers from donor projects in collaboration with the county government.

The dairy cooperatives in the county also contributed to two milk tankers, while donor-funded projects saw the county acquire two packaging machines

 Nyeri also took receipt of two milk dispensers from the Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme (ASDSP) which are currently installed at Mweiga Cooperative Society.

Other interventions to improve the county’s dairy output include group training, holding field days and exhibitions, livestock demonstrations and office consultations.

The county government and donor projects contributed to other support initiatives such as the construction of a milk plant for Kairuthi dairy and the Upper Tana Natural Resource Management Project (UTaNRMP) which supplied 29 CIGs (common interest groups) with eight dairy cows each.

They also distributed milk cans to Mweiga Cooperative and Gakanga Dairy, a number of farmers were provided with pasture and fodder seeds and 38 farmer groups were provided with dairy goat breeding stock that included alpine bucks and does, which cost KES3,795,000 (US$30530).

To sustain the upward trajectory in milk production, the county government further suggested several other interventions such as the distribution of additional value equipment to the dairy cooperatives and more dairy goats for farmer groups.

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