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: 21 January 2020; Hits: 7480

State to offer milk market for dairy goat and camel farmers

dairy goat

In a bid to offer market for dairy goat and camel farmers in the country who have been forgotten for long despite the nutrition value of the livestock’s milk, state-owned processor New KCC has announced plans to open a processing plant in Nanyuki to cater for the farmers.

According to dairy data for milk production by Kenya Dairy Board (KDB), goat milk production was at 221,591,000 litres in 2016 while that of camel at 848,939,000 litres the same year.

And now New KCC managing director Nixon Sigey says the new line of business will benefit the producers “following high demand of these commodities in the country.”

Goat and camel milk is highly sought by Kenyans who are keen on diet due to high nutritional value.

Currently, a litre of goat milk retails at an average of Sh200 buoyed by scarcity as most farmers are not rearing dairy goats. The same quantity of cow milk is selling at less than Sh100.

This will be the first time in Kenya that a major processor will be venturing into goat and camel milk production on a large scale.

The move appears to be a response to calls from elected leaders for the establishment of the facility.

The leaders say that farmers in Nyandarua County were engaged in the lucrative dairy goat farming and urged New KCC to consider buying the produce from them.

The plant will now compete with another private camel milk processor in the county known as WhiteGold started by an agro-entrepreneur, Jama Warsame and which is currently serving over 20 camel farmers.

WhiteGold came into being after the collapse of Vital, a giant camel milk processor in Laikipia County.

camel milk

New KCC is in an expansion spree and recently President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Treasury to release Sh1 billion for the modernization of its factories in Kiganjo and Nyahururu.

Some of the amount will be used to mop up excess milk from farmers and convert it into powder.

Milk volumes in the country have increased significantly to hit a month intake of approximately 65 million litres from 55 million in an ordinary situation.

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: 15 January 2020; Hits: 4144

New KCC to pay farmers Sh8 more per litre of milk delivered

milk inspection

The government through the ministry of agriculture has ordered the New KCC to pay dairy farmers Sh33 per litre up from Sh25, representing an increase of Sh8 per litre of milk the producers shall now deliver to the cooperative.

This follows President Uhuru Kenyatta's economic directives to revamp the country's dairy sector when he also directed the Treasury to release Sh500 million for purchasing excess milk from farmers and another Sh575 million for constructing new milk processing plants in Nyeri and Nyahururu.

Announcing the effective of the president’s directive, the new Agriculture CS, Peter Munya said that moving forward the government will better milk prices upon completion of processing plants.

“This is to help mop up excess milk and process it into powder before putting it into strategic food reserve to help stabilizes milk prices in the market for consumers and also improve the earnings of farmers,” said the CS.

A 16% vat tax has equally been imposed on all milk products from outside the East African community.

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: 14 January 2020; Hits: 3669

Good news as China cuts export duty levied on Kenya’s avocado from 30 to 7 per cent

workers packing avocados 2

Kenyan avocado traders exporting the fruit to China are set to enjoy export duty levy cut from 30 to seven per cent by the Asian nation, a move that will help Kenyan farmers benefit from the lucrative international market.

Trade Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo says the decision was reached last week following negotiations with the world’s most populous nation.

Dr Kiptoo said the decision will see ordinary Kenyan farmers who want to export produce to the Beijing market benefit from the slashed tariffs.

However, tough handling conditions that China has placed remain in place casting doubts on the optimism about small exporters.

“China has just agreed to lower the tariffs from 30 percent and this move will benefit our farmers, especially the small-scale holders," said Dr Kiptoo.

He said the country is targeting the 1.5 billion market and that even if they get a hundred million people, buying Kenyan avocado, it would boost farmers’ earnings significantly.

The PS said the two parties are still negotiating on issues of stringent standards. Some firms, however, have already started exporting the commodity to China despite the tough conditions that include freezing of the export fruits.

"On standards, China wanted us to export frozen avocado as opposed to fresh but negotiations are still going on," he said.

Freezing before export

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis), which is overseeing the export of avocados had said the conditions set by China might limit small-scale holders from accessing this market. This is given the size of investment required in terms equipment that is way beyond the means of small operators.

According to Kephis, farmers will be required to put systems in place that will support the peeling and freezing of the produce to the required temperatures before exporting.

China wants Kenyan farmers and traders to freeze the fruits to negative 30 degrees after peeling off the skin and chill further to negative 18 degrees while in transit to the destination, meaning that farmers would have to invest heavily on cold rooms to meet the requirement.

Kenya has been fighting over the last seven years to have its avocado access the Chinese market in its fresh form. But this has largely been in vain because of the fruit fly pests that are common in local produce.

Kephis managing director Esther Kimani says Kenya has created pest-free zones where avocado meant for exports will be handled as the government seeks to curb the fruit flies menace.

"After we have finished working on these pest-free zones, we will never have to worry about the risk of pests, which has been a big threat to our markets," she said.

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