Wakulima dairy has partnered with the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology to launch a coffee-flavoured yoghurt brand.
The new product, branded Royal Coffee Flavoured Yoghurt, was launched by Agriculture CS Peter Munya at the university’s main campus in Nyeri on Friday. It will be available in outlets countrywide.
Munya said the university has set the way for how to harness technology and produce products for the market.
“You will find a lot of our universities largely giving lip service to technology. They brand themselves as technology universities but when you go there, the programmes are very ordinary and lack the drive towards the utilisation of technology for development and research,” he said.
The CS said the unique product, which has been realised by adding value to local agricultural products through innovation, is already receiving good reception in the market.
The collaboration between the university and the farmers will go a long way in solving farmers’ problems, he said.
Munya said research can help greatly in transforming society by solving its problems.
Such innovations, he said, will also go a long way in improving income for agricultural products.
He pledged government’s support in collaborating with both institutions in taking the initiative to the next level.
“We are ready to work with you in terms of collaborating in training especially of our young people, helping them to get jobs in the coffee sector and even in other value addition sectors,” he said.
Munya said that there are jobs out there but all is needed is building capacity for young people and promoting local consumption of products such as coffee among others to generate more resources.
Dedan Kimathi University of Technology vice-chancellor Ndirangu Kioni said the institution has been working with coffee millers, cooperatives and roasters to identify gaps in the sector before coming up with a special programme for technology for the beverage.
He said the university, which offers certificate and diploma in coffee technology, has transformed human resource in coffee technology programme and empowered the youth to process and package coffee for consumption in the country.
He said the university has focused its research in addressing coffee problems.
The university looked for a partnership with the dairy firm after realising that it could not venture in the production of the product in huge volumes alone.
“We thought the best way is to look for a cooperative or a partner operating in the same sector who could also help in the value addition and in the empowerment of coffee producers and so we picked Mukurwe-ini,” he said.
The Mukurwe-ini dairy chairman Muhika Mutahi said they are considering doing flavoured yoghurt and milk using orange, passion and bananas among other farm produce to provide a market for local farmers growing the products.
Mukurwe-ini dairy has about 20,000 farmers drawn from Nyeri, parts of Murang’a and Kirinyaga counties, 350 employees and makes about Sh 1.4 billion in sales per year.
