Kalawa Dairy Cooperative secures US$6,588 grant to boost resilience amid drought

KENYA – Kalawa Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd has received US$6,588 (KES 850,0000) Drought Mitigation Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), aimed at strengthening dairy farming resilience during the ongoing dry season.

Handed over by Livestock Chief Officer Japheth Kiminza, the grant is intended to support farmers in maintaining milk production amid anticipated feed shortages following the failed October–November–December (OND) rains.

Speaking during the event, Kiminza said the funds will be used to procure high-quality animal feeds to cushion farmers through the current dry spell and into the next rainy season.

He further said the intervention seeks to stabilize dairy productivity, secure livestock nutrition, and protect household incomes.

Beneficiary farmers were urged to strictly adhere to grant implementation guidelines to ensure prudent use of the funds and full accountability.

Kalawa Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd, located in Makueni County, is a farmer-owned organization that brings together smallholder dairy producers to strengthen their operations collectively.

Like many cooperatives across Kenya, Kalawa plays a vital role in helping farmers pool milk, access better markets, and build resilience against challenges such as drought and feed shortages.

MAKUENI STIRRING UP CHANGE IN DAIRY FARMING

In 2025, during a dairy farmer’s day held at Makiou Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society, it was revealed that with the current milk production of about 40 million litres annually in Makueni, the county still imports milk to meet its demand.

The county government has turned this gap into an opportunity—rolling out a set of long-term solutions through its Dairy Development Strategy underpinned by four pillars: improved dairy breeds, better livestock nutrition, robust disease management and modern milk aggregation and marketing systems.

During the field day, Agriculture Chief Officer Japheth Kiminza shared how the Agriculture Department is taking bold steps to grow the dairy sector from the ground up.

Kiminza noted that the county is focused on strengthening the entire dairy value chain to benefit farmers directly.

Among key programs by the county government in place to support this goal are the subsidised Artificial Insemination (AI) initiative to help farmers access quality breeds at affordable rates, and the introduction of the Makueni Animal Feeds Development Strategy, which ensures year-round access to nutritious livestock feed.

Additionally, the county government has invested heavily in boosting dairy farming by supporting local cooperatives with a good number of the 18 dairy cooperatives spread across the county receiving vital equipment such as milk coolers, pasteurizers, transport vehicles, electricity connections and even mini-processing plants.

Notably, Kikima and Kathonzweni Dairy Cooperatives are among those benefiting from these upgrades.

These improvements are helping farmers handle milk better, maintain quality and earn more from their produce.

As the county celebrated the strides made in dairy farming, it was noted that partnerships with development agencies like the World Bank (through NAVCDP and DRIVE) and FAO have emmensely contributed towards helping scale up feed security and commercialization.

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