Meru County – In a recent address to dairy cooperative leaders and farmers at the Nyambene New KCC factory, Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and MSMEs Development, Wycliffe Oparanya, urged dairy cooperatives across the country to form partnerships aimed at shielding milk farmers from unhealthy competition.
Oparanya emphasized that dairy farmers are facing challenges related to market access and fair pricing for their milk. He encouraged New KCC to collaborate with private dairy cooperatives in the region to enhance supply and production capabilities at the facility, noting that while cooperatives in Meru are performing well, the current milk supply for processing at the state corporation remains insufficient.
The Cabinet Secretary expressed concern over the underutilization of the Nyambene New KCC’s advanced facility, which was established at a cost exceeding Sh500 million. “I have given the New KCC management a 90-day mandate to turn around this loss-making entity. This turnaround will involve restructuring human capital, increasing the producer price per liter to Sh55, reducing the payment period to two weeks, and above all, prioritizing the welfare of farmers,” Oparanya stated.
He acknowledged that dairy cooperatives in the region are eager to work with the corporation to streamline market access for farmers. During a separate meeting with the Meru Central Dairy Co-operative Union Ltd Board of Management, Oparanya praised the cooperative’s commitment and high performance, highlighting its processing of over 450,000 liters of milk and its support for more than one million livelihoods along the value chain.
Cooperatives Principal Secretary, Patrick Kilemi, reinforced Oparanya’s message, stressing that the dairy value chain is pivotal to the Bottom-up Economic Agenda (BETA).
With a focus on collaboration and development, the future looks promising for the dairy sector in Kenya.
