• According to a recent livestock report by the Ministry of Agriculture milk production has nosedived by 60 per cent in all zones known for high milk production in the county.
• Officials in Migori say the drop in production from 750,000 litres a day to as low as 300,000 litres, has impacted negatively on household incomes.
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Migori's milk production has significantly dropped threatening food security in the county, despite its favourable climate for dairy farming.
The county will remain a perennial importer of milk and its products, unless urgent measures are taken to reverse the situation.
According to a recent livestock report by the Ministry of Agriculture milk production has nosedived by 60 per cent in all zones known for high milk production within the county.
Officials at the livestock development office in Migori town say the drop in production from 750,000 litres a day to as low as 300,000 litres, has impacted negatively on household incomes by an equivalent percentage.
They said the dry spell has seriously affected milk production, causing household incomes to drop proportionally.
This is despite farmers being forced to adopt mechanisms of purchasing fodder and pasture at high costs, for livestock maintenance.
Consequently, farm gate prices of milk have gone up by at least 25 per cent, while retail prices rose by 40 per cent.
Migori livestock director Charles Nyaanga said local livestock production has continued to decline due to unreliable rainfall, poor pasture quality, animal diseases and poor infrastructure.
He said Nyatike, Uriri, Kuria West and Kuria East subcounties performed badly in milk production, during the past six months, as a result of drought and diseases.
In the dry zones of Muhuru, Ayego, Kegonga and Ntimaru, livestock death cases associated with lack of feed and dry spell has negatively affected milk production in the entire region.
However, the director affirms that an elaborate dairy animal project to help fast-track efforts to increase milk production in the region is ongoing.
He said the project will help stabilise milk prices and ensure availability of related products in the area.
“Currently, both the national and county governments through our department are engaged in a number of programmes and projects, to see that this extreme milk and milk products shortage is resolved amicably,” Nyaanga said during a past farmers’ field day forum.
There are also massive campaigns to encourage farmers with indigenous cows to replace them with grade cows, which are able to survive on a small piece of land through zero grazing.
Farmers are equally being informed that it is uneconomical to keep a large stock of indigenous animals in this era, where land is becoming scarce.
Most importantly, the Migori government has pumped millions of shillings into a programme that seeks to ensure that every home in the region has grade dairy cows, to boost household earnings.
The programme dubbed, One Dairy Cow per Sugarcane/Tobacco Farmer, donates a calf to each selected and verified farmers, to help boost their livelihoods and increase milk production.
A farmer who gets the grade calf is required to donate the cow’s off-spring to other farmers in his or her organised group, when the animal eventually gives birth in a rotational manner.
“Farmers in particular groups prepare their rotational lists knowing who will benefit next, when a cow gives birth in the next round,” Nyaanga said.
He said through such an arrangement, many farmers will end up with their own grade dairy animals and improve their earnings.
To date, up to 800 grade dairy cattle have been distributed to farmers through this programme at a cost of more than Sh16 million, with remarkable benefits so far.
The national government has also donated milk cooler plants to a number of dairy cooperative societies in a bid to promote milk farming in the region.
Some of the beneficiaries in the national government multi-million shillings’ milk coolant plant grant programme are Bondo and Magongo Dairy Cooperative Societies as well as the Oyani Dairy Breeding and Development Farm.
In the journey to promote dairy farming in the region, farmers are also encouraged to seek Artificial Insemination services to boost their exotic breeds and increase milk production.
The Migori government in collaboration with private partners has been educating farmers on the best practices, to see to it that they get value for their investments in dairy farming.
Veterinarian George Kimani from Nuru International Kenya-NGO says his organisation is working closely with the devolved government authorities to educate farmers on why they should embrace AI.
He said AI will help dairy farmers improve their exotic breeds in terms of milk production.
Kimani however said it is important for farmers to know the signs of heat on their cows for the insemination officer to achieve conception, with the aim of getting a heifer calve.
“Silent heat is one of the major problems that dairy farmers face but our training has reduced that gap,” he said.
Meanwhile, the organisation is using semen from local breeds that were improved by the Agricultural Development Corporation Genetic Centre and semen from the USA, specifically for the Jersey breed to promote dairy farming activities in the area.
Kimani further said it is very important for the insemination official to breed cows on weight rather than age.
He said breeding on weight improves the quality of milk production and produces healthier and strong calves.
The veterinarian encouraged Migori farmers to embrace the breed because of its milk quality and quantity, its higher feed conversion efficiency and ease of calving.
He also said the Jersey breed reaches maturity earlier and therefore can produce milk earlier than other breeds.
Kimani said there is a high demand for milk in the country and those with dairy animals stand to benefit from the venture.
He said dairy farming in Kenya pays on a daily basis, making it a lucrative business for both small and medium-scale farmers.
The veterinarian said well-kept jersey cows can produce up to 18 litres per day, while an exotic breed in Migori can only produce three litres.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics livestock population census of 2019 showed that the country had 4.5 million dairy cows, with the per capita consumption of the average Kenyan estimated at 121 litres of milk per person per year.
Kimani further encouraged the dairy farmers to form cooperatives in order to enjoy vast veterinary services, that will improve their daily production.
He also urged those that were still using the bull service to embrace artificial insemination in order to improve their exotic breeds.
“This is the only option through which every home will try to reduce poverty, currently dogging many in the area.
"It is one means that will offer job opportunities to the many idle youths in this region and bring in good income to most people,” the veterinarian said.
Although a net importer of milk and milk products, Migori county has been able to reduce the deficit by producing its own products from the dairy animals kept by the local farmers in the last one year.
In the meantime, the region has been importing milk from Rift Valley and Kisii regions as well as from the far-flung areas of Tarime in the neighbouring Tanzania.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)