With Expanding Dairy Sector, EADD Launches Feeding Manual

With the Expanding Dairy Sector, The East Africa Dairy Development (EADD Project has Launched a Feeding Manual for Dairy Farmers and Extension Officers. Special Report by Xinhua Correspondents: Ejidiah Wangui

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- In recent months, milk prices have been going up in Kenya, providing an opportunity for those ready to make quick bucks out of an unfortunate situation.

Beatrice Wanjiku is one such Kenyan. She buys a litre of milk from farmers at 15 shillings and sells the same to New Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) at 20.80 shillings.

"While hawked milk takes care of my expenses, the earnings from milk sold to KCC add up in my bank account boosting my savings. It is a win-win situation," notes Wanjiku, a Murang based milk hawker who buys the commodity from farmers and retails it in the populated residential estates in Nairobi like Dandora and Kayole.

We cannot just hawk milk to shops only. We also take some of the milk to New KCC so that we are paid like farmers at the end of the month, observes Wanjiku.

An increasing number of milk hawkers have become marketing agents and brokers, earning a handsome income in the process.

Recent findings from an assessment of the impact of the Kenya dairy policy change show that changes in the sector, which incorporated small-scale milk producers and traders into the milk value chain and liberalized informal milk markets, have led to an increase in the amount of milk marketed and increased licensing of milk vendors.

Financial organizations have also boosted milk sales through formal processors. For farmers to benefit from loans, their milk revenues must be regular and channeled through the banks.

"Farmers need to be members of an organized marketing channel such as a Savings and Credit Cooperative societies or a company like KCC, Brookside or Buzeka in Western Kenya. The milk must be delivered through an agent and money channeled through our bank accounts," says David Odongo, Family Bank Agribusiness Manager.

Family Bank is one of the institutions offering farmers loans to increase their herds and construct zero grazing units among other development projects.

According to Odongo, a dairy farmer may obtain a minimum of 5,000 shillings to a maximum of 5 million shillings.

The repayment period is negotiable based on one's ability but the norm is usually 24 months for 250,000 shillings and below.

Service providers such as those offering Artificial Insemination (AI), farm inputs and veterinary services also require that farmers deal with financial institutions if they want to obtain these services on credit.

With the expanding dairy sector, the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) Project has launched a feeding manual for dairy farmers and extension officers.

High demand for fresh milk as population grows and the need for value-added milk products for an expanding urban middle class has prompted farmers to acquired new skills in dairy management to be able to supply milk.

The manual covers information on the basic nutrients a dairy cow requires, the available feed resources that provide these nutrients and practical aspects of feeding the animals.

It also has information on livestock production systems and pasture production and management.

Issues of pasture utilization and use of feed supplements are also discussed in language rural farmers and extension officers can understand.

The manual also discusses feeding of calves, heifers and dairy cattle. The EADD is a regional program led by the Heifer International in partnership with the International Livestock Research institute, Techno Serve, the World Agroforestry Centre and the African Breeder Service Total Cattle Management. It is implemented in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

While farmers have benefited directly from milk sales, service providers in the dairy industry, banks and transport companies have equally raked in on the growing industry.

Coastweek.com