Milk producers to be paid based on quality not quantity

The Ministry of Agriculture has drafted a National Livestock Policy that will see milk producers paid based on the quality of milk they supply as opposed to quantity.

Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai says this is in response to milk safety concerns with some produce found to be contaminated with aflotoxin.

The dairy industry contributes up to 4 percent to Kenya’s GDP and plays an important role in creating employment.

According to official data, the country produces about 5.2 billion liters of milk annually with 79 percent of this being cow milk, and the rest from camel and goats.

However, some of the milk is unfit for human consumption due to poor handling after milking.

This is fueled by smallholder dairy farming being quantity-based as opposed to being quality-based.

According to the Head of Procurement, Brookside, Emannuel Kabaki, most farmers indulge in milk adulteration by adding what he terms as contaminants such as, sugar and fats, as they target to make more money.

As a result, the government has drafted strategies that will ensure milk produce is safe from the point of production, bulking and marketing to the end user.

Currently, the Kenya Dairy Board is deliberating on the Quality-Based Payment System that will encourage farmers to adopt practices that ditch malpractices in the dairy produce value chain.

Kenya dairy board Managing Director Margaret Kibogy is calling on county governments to join the fight against milk adulteration by creating awareness among milk producers on safe handling of the produce.

She says trainings must be conducted among farmers on the right animal feeds and medication to boost the quality of milk.