JKUAT partners with Tassels Farming to enhance Kenya’s dairy sector

KENYA – The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has signed a five-year partnership with Tassels Farming Ltd (TSL) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on advancing Kenya’s dairy farming landscape. 

The collaboration aims to upgrade JKUAT’s dairy farming infrastructure and promote agribusiness initiatives within the university’s curriculum, aligning with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) to advance agriculture and food security.

Under the partnership, JKUAT and TSL will work together to enhance the breeding and productivity of both local and exotic dairy cattle and goats, leveraging JKUAT’s laboratories and facilities to develop high-yield animals. 

This initiative also emphasizes knowledge sharing and training by organizing seminars and workshops for students, staff, and young farmers, centered on modern dairy practices, effective marketing strategies, and agribusiness skills. 

Such training is expected to strengthen rural economies and foster sustainable farming practices.

Both organizations will collaborate on marketing dairy products to enhance the reach and economic impact of local dairy farmers, beginning in Kiambu County and later expanding across Kenya.

At the official MoU signing on October 24, 2024, JKUAT Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Ngumi, commended TSL’s extensive experience in the dairy sector, highlighting its role in breeding, cattle acquisition, feeding systems, health management, and value addition. 

Prof. Ngumi noted that TSL’s 17-year history in the dairy value chain makes it an essential partner for JKUAT, enriching its academic programs in agribusiness and boosting its role as a center of excellence in market-driven training, research, and innovation.

TSL CEO, Mr. Muturi Njoroge, also emphasized the partnership’s potential impact, stating that the combined expertise of JKUAT and TSL will offer practical solutions to local farmers, particularly in addressing the shortage of reliable, high-quality agricultural information. 

Mr. Njoroge expressed optimism that this partnership could become a model for successful university-industry collaborations, driving advancements in research, enhancing agricultural education, and addressing sectoral challenges.

The MoU represents a significant step toward building a modernized and sustainable dairy industry in Kenya by combining JKUAT’s academic expertise with TSL’s practical know-how. 

This strategic partnership is expected to facilitate impactful innovations in Kenya’s dairy sector, supporting local farmers, enhancing food security, and potentially shaping a new model for educational and commercial collaborations in agriculture.

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