The Busia county agriculture revitalization program has significantly improved the agriculture sector by providing dairy farmers with value-added equipment to enhance production quality and quantity.
The Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Climate Smart and Agribusiness through the Directorate of Livestock Services has embarked on a journey to increase milk production in the area by engaging in the supply of value additional equipment to dairy cooperatives, to improve the dairy value chain so that farmers get value for their milk and leverage on existing market gap.
Moreover, Busia County produces 390,000 litres against a demand of 3 million liters pushing the county to overly on importation of milk from Uganda or other counties within the county.
Speaking at Nambale during the handover of equipment to farmers, the Chief Officer of Livestock Protection and Veterinary Services Mercy Imo urged the farmers to form a cooperative to attract grants and donations will support value addition hence elevating them out of poverty chains.
“We have plans to revive all our cattle dips and provide farmers with the required acaricides to help in improving animal health and hence realize increased production which will enable the farmers to increase milk supplies and liberate them from poverty chains,” said Imo.
Her sentiments were echoed by the County Dairy Development Officer Maurice Khamala, who noted that they started a dairy improvement program in the past financial years, with a supply of dairy heifers to farmers and currently they are putting efforts to bridge the existing market gap and make sure production matches up with consumption in the whole County.
For instance, farmers in Matayos, Nambale, and Adungosi Dairy Cooperatives were issued with 3 milk pasteurizers of 250 litres capacity each and 3 milk cans of 50 litres each.
However, the move saw farmers led by Boaz Owase from Nambale Dairy Cooperative applaud the county government noting that it will help to propel the agriculture sector beyond family line.
“We need to embrace the agenda of having at least one vibrant cooperative society in every ward so that we can be able to deal with various value chains that will benefit our farmers as they engage in value addition,” said Owase.
Dairy in Kenya is facing several challenges, which are hampering the agricultural sector’s growth and affecting the lives of 40% of the population, according to a recent report by USAID.
By Absalom Namwalo
