Boost for Kericho milk, honey farmers as value addition centre launched

Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) has unveiled a new milk and honey value addition facility to increase farmers’ earnings in Kericho.

The Londiani Constituency Industrial Development Centre (CIDC) houses Ruskebei Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society, which receives 3,500 litres of milk from local farmers. The facility is equipped with milk cooler, honey processing machines and pasteuriser donated by the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI).

“This facility is a testament that product diversification empowers small holder farmers for sustainable and profitable dairy farming,” said Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina said while launching the facility.

“As a Ministry, we will continue inculcating good production practices for ‘made in Kenya’ products to enlarge market opportunities.’’

Through the new hub, MSEA will train over 6,000 members of the society on product branding, standardisation and registration of trademarks in partnership with Ministry of Trade, the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Kenya Industrial Property Institute and the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency.

“MSEA is promoting manufacturing through supporting Constituency level value addition through MSE infrastructure development as an employment creation strategy. We are also partnering with other Government agencies and the private sector to bridge skills and financing gaps to further empower the sector,’’ said MSEA chief executive officer Henry Rithaa.