Kenyan Government rolls out US$532,000 milk cooling project in Kericho County

KENYA – The national government has rolled out nine bulk milk coolers under the Livestock Value Chain Support Project, worth US$532,000 (Sh70 million), in Kericho County.

Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke flagged off the coolers at Moi Gardens in Kericho in an initiative aimed at enhancing milk preservation, reducing post-harvest losses, ensuring compliance with quality standards, and increasing earnings for thousands of smallholder dairy farmers across the county.

12 milk coolers have been allocated across Kericho County, with nine units handed over for immediate distribution to selected cooperative societies and three additional units scheduled for delivery in March.

The coolers will collectively preserve about 855,000 litres of milk each month, equivalent to nearly 47 million litres annually, with approximately 19,000 litres kept chilled daily to maintain freshness and quality.

The programme is designed to strengthen milk aggregation at the cooperative level, minimise losses caused by delayed cooling, and ensure that farmers deliver milk that meets the required safety and quality standards for formal markets.

The PS emphasised that improved milk production must go hand in hand with proper animal health management, noting that the ongoing livestock vaccination programme recently launched in Kericho to protect cattle against foot-and-mouth disease is designed to safeguard herd health, reduce disease-related losses, and ensure consistent milk yields for farmers.

Additionally, the State Department is expanding access to sexed semen, a specialised form of artificial insemination that increases the chances of producing female calves, which later grow into milk-producing cows and boost overall milk output.

The PS noted that the government has reduced the cost of sexed semen from Sh8,000 to Sh1,000 per dose to make this advanced breeding technology affordable and accessible to livestock farmers.

He added that under the Quality‑Based Milk Payment System, milk will be tested at collection centres for key quality parameters, including butterfat and protein content, bacterial load, and compliance with hygiene and safety standards.

Farmers whose milk meets higher quality thresholds will earn premium prices of up to Sh65 per litre compared with the prevailing average price of about Sh45, as processors increasingly link pay to quality rather than volume.

“We are now moving from paying farmers for the quantity of milk to rewarding them for quality, so those who maintain high standards in handling, hygiene and nutrient content will earn better returns,” Mueke explained.

He assured that in line with a presidential directive to revitalise the dairy value chain and ensure prompt payments to milk suppliers, the government has injected significant funding into the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries to strengthen processing capacity and ensure timely payments to farmers supplying milk, a move aimed at resolving delayed payments and restoring confidence in the dairy market.

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