KDB’s Margaret Kibogy advocates sustainability during dairy industry visits

KENYA – The Managing Director of the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB), Margaret Rugut Kibogy, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming the dairy sector through sustainability-focused initiatives.

During recent visits to Kabiyet Dairies, Nandi Dairy Cooperative Union in Nandi County, and Devyani Food Industries and Ravine Dairies in Nakuru County, Kibogy emphasized the importance of implementing the Kenya Dairy Sustainability Roadmap (KDSR) 2023-2033.

According to KDB, these visits are integral to engaging key industry stakeholders and ensuring alignment with the roadmap’s ambitious goals.

Launched in December 2023, the KDSR outlines a comprehensive 10-year strategy to revolutionize Kenya’s dairy sector by promoting environmental responsibility, improving productivity, and fostering economic prosperity.

During her interactions with dairy processors, Kibogy highlighted the roadmap’s foundation on four key pillars: planet, people, prosperity, and principles of governance.

These pillars encompass 25 goals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing milk production efficiency, and increasing the formal marketing of milk from 30% to 50%.

“Our objective is to create a sustainable dairy industry that ensures food security, meets the nutritional needs of our population, and contributes significantly to the economy,” Kibogy stated.

The roadmap seeks to address critical challenges in the sector, such as low productivity, poor milk handling, and environmental concerns.

A key target is to double annual milk production from the current five billion litres to 10 billion litres by 2033. This goal will be achieved primarily through improving the yield per cow rather than expanding herd sizes.

Mithika Linturi, the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, had previously noted the importance of strategic interventions such as enhancing access to quality feeds and fodder.

“Doubling milk production per cow is essential for sustainable growth and will significantly increase farmers’ income,” he remarked during the roadmap’s launch.

The dairy industry, which already contributes over Sh230 billion annually to Kenya’s economy, involves approximately 5.1 million dairy cows and supports over two million smallholder farmers.

By increasing milk production and formal market participation, the roadmap aims to elevate small-scale farmers’ monthly incomes to Sh56,000.

Kibogy also stressed the importance of adopting modern technologies and climate-smart practices to meet the roadmap’s sustainability goals.

This aligns with the global Dairy Net Zero campaign, which focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting climate-resilient dairy systems.

The adoption of these practices is expected to enable Kenya to produce an additional 2.5 billion litres of quality milk annually, meeting growing local and regional demands while positioning the country as a competitive player in international markets.

Accompanied by KDB head office staff and branch managers from Kapsabet and Nakuru, Kibogy’s visits underscored the collaborative approach needed to achieve these targets.

She reiterated that achieving 105% of local demand and increasing daily milk yields per cow to 20 litres are crucial steps toward building a resilient and prosperous dairy industry.