KENYA – The County Government of Busia, in Kenya, through its Department of Agriculture, has initiated a training and distribution program for dairy goats to farmers in milk cooperatives across the county.
The initiative aims to enhance milk production levels in the county, responding to rising milk prices in retail and supermarkets.
Meanwhile, farmers from various self-help groups in four wards within Busia County received 46 goats through the Kenya Livestock and Commercialization Project (KeLCop). The pilot program seeks to increase daily income through dairy goat farming.
Selected groups from the Elugulu ward in the Butula sub-county, Bunyala North ward in the Budalangi sub-county, Nambuku/Namboboto ward in Samia sub-county, and Amukura West in Teso South have benefited from this project, venturing into commercial goat farming.
KeLCop coordinator, Mr. Radoli Shiundu, explained that the wards were selected based on population, stakeholder availability, and poverty levels.
“The goal is to upscale the project to other parts of the county. Farmers with indigenous goat varieties will also have access to buck services (male servicing) to improve their breeds. This aims to upgrade indigenous goats to improved varieties,” he said.
Currently, Busia County produces 27,367,551 liters of milk annually, with Nambale, Teso North, Teso South, and Butula leading in production. However, there are only six dairy cooperatives that hamper milk collection and processing.
In the FY 2019/2020, the county allocated funds to implement the “County Dairy Heifers Program,” distributing 465 dairy in-calf heifers to over 186 farmers’ groups across the seven sub-counties. An additional 247 heifers were distributed in the FY 2021/2022.
Mildred Okello Musumba from the Bulemia Dairy Goat Farmers’ Self-Help Group applauded the county’s initiative, noting that goat farming is more profitable and less expensive to maintain.
“Farmers who rear five dairy goats stand to benefit 45 percent more than those rearing one dairy cow. Goats require less feed and space, and their milk fetches a higher price compared to cow’s milk,” Musumba said.
George Mulamba, a dairy goat farmer from Bukhalalire in Marachi Central Ward, urged the county to establish more milk collection centers and cold-storage infrastructure.
This would help prevent milk wastage and reduce losses incurred by farmers before reaching the factory.
Mulamba highlighted the delayed payments by the New KCC and exploitation by milk processor cartels, offering as low as Sh40 per liter, whereas other areas receive KES50 to KES55.
According to a 2023 economic survey, Kenya wasted 290 million liters of milk, resulting in an income loss of KES14.7 billion for dairy farmers.
Dairy farmers in Busia are appealing to the county government to ensure the establishment and full functionality of dairy parks in all sub-counties. This would mitigate wastage and protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen in the sector.
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