Counties

Nandi farmers earn Sh335m in raw milk sales to Brookside

milk

Workers at Kabiyet Dairies Company receive milk from dairy farmers in Nandi. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Dairy farmers in Nandi earned Sh335 million from raw milk sales to processor Brookside Dairy last year, signalling improving fortunes for the enterprise in the county.

The income reflected Sh5 million growth above payouts made by the processor to the farmers in 2016. Brookside director of milk procurement John Gethi attributed the increase to the adoption of best practice in dairy husbandry by smallholders.

“The improving fortunes for dairy farming in Nandi confirms that our dairy training courses, through which we impart knowledge to farmers on ways of growing milk production, are bearing fruit,” he said in Mosoriot during a training session for dairy farmers in Chesumei sub-county.

According to Mr Gethi, guaranteed income from raw milk sales had motivated many farmers to venture into the dairy business.

“There is a general shift where an increasing number of farmers are moving from other agricultural value chains, especially crops, and investing in dairy due to the assured income for milk delivered to processors,” he said.

READ: Brookside pays West Pokot farmers Sh330m for raw milk

Mr Gethi commended the role of dairy co-operatives in Nandi, which he said had enabled farmers to sell their milk in bulk to Brookside, enabling them to benefit from economies of scale.

He asked farmers to take advantage of the current rains to plant fodder crops as a strategy for maintaining optimum milk production across all seasons.

“Conserved forage plants such as hay and silage will become handy when the dry season sets in,” he said.

Brookside assured farmers that it would procure 100 per cent of all contracted milk volumes despite the forecast rise in production due to the ongoing rains.