Under the Kenya Vision 2030, recognised dairy industry as one of the fundamental avenues for employment creation for women and the youth. It is significant sub-sector with fresh milk among the top five foods consumed by most households in Kenya.
Kenyan milk production is 3 per cent of the 18 per cent global production by Sub Saharan Africa. An estimated 4.3 million dairy cattle are reared under extensive, semi-intensive and intensive systems.
They include local and exotic breeds and hybrids of both. Milk production rose from 1.02 million thousand tonnes in 1970 to 5.53 million thou- sand tonnes in 2019, growing at an average annual rate of 3.77 per cent.
However, data from the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) shows milk volumes declined by 0.95 per cent in 2020 to 679 million litres from 685 million litres in 2019. In 2020, the production of processed milk and cream was 458 million litres, down from nearly 492 million litres the previous year.
Kenya Livestock Commercialisation Project
The Government in collaboration with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) set aside Sh9.6 billion to establish the Kenya Livestock Commercialization Project (KeLCoP) to boost rural smallholder farmers’ incomes and enhance food and nutrition security State Department for Livestock is implementing the programme in 10 counties with a keen focus on the youth, women and marginalised segments of the population.
Selected counties are Siaya, Busia, Bungoma, Elgeyo Marakwet and Samburu. Others are Kakamega, Nakuru, Baringo, Marsabit and Trans Nzoia Counties.
The six-year project focuses on small ruminants, improving local poultry breeds and strengthening bee-keeping value chains which have the potential to provide productive employment and food security opportunities for women and the youth. It also covers dairy goat, sheep and goat meat farming.
It is intended to improve opportunities for small-scale farmers to increase production, access markets and remain resilient to economic and climate risks.
Up to 495,000 farmers will benefit directly and indirectly from the multibillion-shilling project.
Use of climate-smart production technology is at its core supported by electronic extension services, breed improvement, upgrading of market infrastructure, capacity development, and provision of grants for marketing activities in the targeted counties.
Use of climate-smart production technology is at its core sup- ported by electronic extension services, breed improvement, upgrading of market infrastructure, capacity development, and provision of grants for marketing activities in the targeted counties.
The Ministry of Trade, Industrialisation and Enterprise Development has already identified the foreign markets to be targeted.
Breeding
Kenya Agriculture Livestock and Re- search Organisation (KALRO) has introduced improved breeds of dairy cattle and grass adapted to harsh climatic conditions to mitigate the effects of drought on livestock.
The improved cross-breed of the indigenous Sahiwal and the exotic Friesian cattle are resistant to most pests and diseases and can yield as much as 30 litres of milk per day.
KALRO, through its Dairy Institute at Naivasha, is also training farmers on breeding, disease control, animal health, feed formulation, value addition and marketing in the dairy sub- sector.
The high cost of animal feed is a major challenge for small scale dairy farmers. KALRO is equipping farmers with skills to grow their own feeds from maize germ, boma rhodes and brachiaria grass.
The cross-bred dairy cows can sur- vive the harsh nomadic lifestyle in arid and semi-arid regions and allows pastoralists to keep fewer animals, but with higher milk or meat production potential.
Speaking when he officially opened a Training of Trainers (ToTs) workshop on Dairy Value Chain at Jumuia Guest House in Nakuru, Dr Kireger said the changing climate has affected the feed and fodder situation in Arid and Semi-Arid regions, where during droughts, livestock is lost.
The 9-day workshop organised by the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Project (NARIGP), incorporates livestock extension officers from counties of Kwale, Kilifi, Narok, Samburu and Nyamira.
To deal with the perennial feed short- ages, KALRO has introduced, through its Arid and Rangelands Research Institute, a re-seeding programme, where grasses, mainly indigenous and adopted, are re-grown in the rangelands.
The improved cattle breeds are well adapted to the range and grasslands and are being used to improve the African Zebu breed that is less productive, yielding an average of just 10 litres of milk per day.
KALRO has also secured registration of four range grass varieties for establishment of new pasture fields and restoration of degraded rangelands. Sahiwal bulls are providing semen for harvesting by Kenya Animal Genetics Resource Centre (KAGRC), for use in artificial insemination. KALRO has also established a call centre where farmers can receive expert advice on planting materials, fertilisers, plant and animal diseases and weather updates.
The 600,000 small-scale farmers geo-referenced on the platform are easier to locate for extension services and other support.
These efforts are informed by the reality that Kenya’s informal milk sector accounts for more than 70 per cent of 40,000 jobs in the dairy sub-sector.
Trainings focus on technologies, innovations and management practices including assisted reproduction in dairy cattle breeding, disease tolerance, forage conservation, feed rations, manure management for bioenergy, fortification of feeds, marketing and milk handling.
Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP)
The Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) is a Government of Kenya project jointly supported by the World Bank.
KCSAP is being implemented over a five-year period (2017-2022) under the framework of the Agriculture Sector Development Strategy (ASDS) (2010-2020) and National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS, 2010).
Dairy farmers in Taita Taveta County are already reaping the benefits of the project with the County government setting an annual target of 30 million litres of milk, up from 18 million litres.
The project supports small-scale farmers in mobilisation, training and operational expenses to increase their productivity and enhance supply of products. Programmes initiated include artificial insemination and veterinary services that have benefited 7,000 dairy farmers. Extension officers from the Ministry of Agriculture are also facilitated by the County administration to advise farmers.
In Kisii County small-scale dairy farmers are using artificial insemination and zero-grazing techniques to boost milk production.
Friesian, Ayrshire, and Jersey breeds are serviced with semen from bulls of superior quality using to give birth to hybrids that yield more milk.
According to the Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, milk from livestock in Kenya is estimated at 5.2 billion litres annually, out of which cow milk accounts for 75 percent.
5.2B: Estimated annual milk yield in billions of litres from livestock in Kenya according to the Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, out of which cow milk accounts for 75 percent
Milk is primarily produced under zero-grazing, semi-zero grazing, and open grazing by an estimated 1.8 million small-scale farmers.
Embracing technology in the livestock sector, producing climate change resilient and high-yielding breeds are part of key effort smallholder dairy farmers are making to help the National Government achieve the Big 4 Agenda pillar of Food Security and Nutrition.
Tana River County Government in partnership with the European Union (EU) has constructed two mini milk cooling plants in Bangale and Garsen Wards.
The two solar-powered cooling plants will be used for milk collection, bulking and as chilling centres.
Once operational, the Tana River Fish and Milk Authority (TRFMA) will manage the project. The plants are equipped with milk reception centres, pumps, cooling and storage tanks, solar panels and backup batteries.
The plants will reduce losses experienced by farmers and increase the shelf–life of milk. Two Satellite milk collection centres are operating at Boka in Tana North Sub-county and Tarassa in Tana Delta Sub–county, holding the milk for onward transport to the main cooling plants.
The quality and hygiene of milk produced will improve, thus enhancing its marketability. Ten thousand litres of milk will be processed daily up from the current 3,000 litres.
In Trans Nzoia County, KALRO is working with dairy farmers to plant brachiaria grass for increased milk production due to its higher protein content compared to other fodder grasses.
She said that KALRO is promoting fodder grass in Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Turkana and Uasin Gishu counties. The wonder grass takes four to five months. Among the varieties being promoted by the organisation are basilisk, xaiares, Flata and M G 4. The grass can be planted for open grazing fields or harvested and stored for future use.
More than 1,000 dairy farmers in Western Kenya have doubled their milk production and grown their in- comes by saving on high-cost feed and growing their own high-quality, drought-resilient forage grasses. The farmers have been trained since 2018 on new varieties of grasses.
KALRO tested the grasses for suit- ability to local conditions before they were released to farmers. Young people without cattle are also benefitting, growing the fodder and selling it to farmers.
30M: Annual target of milk in mil- lions of litres set by the county Government of Taita Taveta County, whose dairy farmers are already reaping the bene- fits of the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture project
Regulation
The Dairy Industry Regulations, 2021 were gazetted and launched in March 2021 and are now law. They are meant to solve challenges facing the dairy sub-sector including seasonality of production, low productivity, poor quality, costly and inaccessible animal feeds and a weak regulatory frame- work, among others.
The regulations fall under Section 19 of the Dairy Industry Act and under- went rigorous legal and constitutional requirements and incorporated input from stakeholders, including the County governments who are leading their implementation.
The regulations will also ensure that automated milk dispensers meet international standards of hygiene. They cover a raft of areas including registration, licensing, cess and levy, returns, reports, and estimates, enforcement of compliance, produce traceability and recall, contracts for milk sales, pricing of dairy produce, imports and exports and safety of produce.
The regulations will stabilise the prices of dairy products reduce the negative impact of cartels and middlemen who exploit farmers. They empower the sub-sector regulator, the Kenya Dairy Board, to set minimum prices for raw milk from farmers and limit importation of dairy products.
Nakuru County is implementing the Dairy Value Chain Strategic Plan (2019-2023) to train and assist small- scale farmers to increase production.
The dairy sub-sector is the largest in the agriculture value chain, creating employment and ensuring food security. Although Kenya is the second largest producer of milk in Africa, the dairy sector incurs a lot of losses during production and processing.
The Strategic Plan will formulate relevant approaches and programmes for the development of the industry in the County.
Farmers will benefit from improved artificial insemination, cattle sheds, mobile veterinary clinics and the establishment of bulk milk chillers, milk collection centres and skills on how to cultivate fodder.
Milk production is driven by small- scale dairy farmers whose population is estimated at 1.8 million.
The informal sale of raw milk in rural, peri-urban and urban areas is a regulatory concern due to the potential public health concerns.
The Strategic Plan increases the capacity of dairy farmers to produce and deliver quality and safe dairy products and expands their access to domestic and export markets.
Farmers will benefit from improved artificial insemination, cattle sheds, mobile veterinary clinics and the establishment of bulk milk chillers, milk collection centres and skills on how to cultivate fodder
Kenya Livestock Insurance Programme (KLIP)
With 60 per cent of Kenya’s livestock herd being resident in her arid and semi-arid regions, or over 70 per cent of the country and severe drought is a major challenge due to climate change.
In 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries – with sup- port from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the World Bank – launched a livestock insurance scheme, targeting vulnerable pastoralists.
The Kenya Livestock Insurance Pro- gram (KLIP) targets vulnerable pastoralists whose livelihoods are entirely dependent on livestock. KLIP has been developed as a public-private partnership (PPP) where the Government creates the enabling conditions, including premium support, and the insurance companies focus on service delivery, including insurance product development and paying claims to the insured beneficiaries.
KLIP is based on the internationally recognized index-based livestock insurance model, which was developed in 2009 by a team of scientists from ILRI and technical partners. Its signature feature is the use of satellite data to generate an index for grazing conditions so that payments are triggered early in the drought when conditions fall below a certain critical level.
The index eliminates the need for monitoring by insurance agents and
ensures timely payouts to pastoralists, which help herders keep more live- stock alive. KLIP with County governments to protect livestock against the risks associated with drought effects, through satellite-based index insurance.
Dairy Goats
The Dairy Goat Artificial Insemination Centre at the Animal Health and Industry-Training Institute (A.H.I.T.I) in Kutus, Kirinyaga County is nearly complete with a nitrogen plant for semen storage and a laboratory for semen production.
The KShs 500 million centre built with the support of the World Bank under the Eastern Africa Agricultural Productivity Project will increase the productivity of the dairy goats from an average of 1 liter to 5 litres per day.
It is part of the Government’s commitment to delivering on the Big 4 Agenda pillar of Food Security and Nutrition and will enable small-scale goat farmers to access quality breeds.
The Government has purchased full artificial insemination kits for technicians to support the dairy sub-sector and lower the cost of the service. The goal is to increase goat milk production from the current 1 litre to 5 litres per day.
Also being built is an embryo transfer plant at Mariba farm in Meru to be equipped with an embryo-sexing ma- chine for high-quality breeds Dairy farmers in Mt Kenya region are already enjoying subsidised costs for artificial insemination services thanks to a multimillion-shilling liquid Nitro- gen gas plant already in operation.
The cost of artificial insemination services has been reduced by 50 per cent from a high of KShs 1000 to Kshs 500.
Service providers were charging farmers exorbitant fees per animal due to the long distance between the county and Kabete in Kiambu, where the crucial Nitrogen gas is produced. The project will give a boost to the dairy sub-sector due to easy and cheaper access to certified animal semen. The Sh200 million Nitrogen plant producse 20 litres of Nitrogen per hour and benefits farmers in Nyeri, Muranga, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi counties.
Kenya will be able to produce enough goat semen for local farmers and have a surplus for export within the East African Region from the Ndomba plant alone.