Mechanization of dairy farming plays a great role in reducing labour and increasing livestock production, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago has said.
The county government will help farmers adopt mechanization by buying animal feed machines, he said.
While launching farm machinery company AgriAssist in Eldoret at the weekend, Governor Mandago said dairy production is key to the Big Four agenda.
AgriAssist is owned by Dutch investor Erick Dejong. It specializes in dairy equipment manufacture and training farmers in mechanization.
"The government has set food security among the Big Four agenda and dairy production is one of the ways to achieve this," Mandago said.
The governor asked farmers to practice restricted dairy farming to realize increased milk production.
"You have heard that anything below 10 litres per cow is below optimum production but this can be turned around if we practice zero grazing," he said.
Mandago urged farmers to join cooperative societies to acquire loans to buy farm machinery.
Livestock chief officer Victoria Tarus advised farmers to properly plan their farms for record keeping, equipment storage and other practices that support maximization of production.
"Let us engage in modern production. By use of these technologies, you are assured of improved dairy production", Tarus said.
AgriAssist director Dejong said Uasin Gishu is the breadbasket of the country and has a big potential for milk production.
"For this reason, we purpose to link farmers to better machinery and skill that will improve dairy production", he said.
Livestock director Simeon Langat asked farmers to utilize the county's AI program to improve their breed.
A dairy farmer, Fred Kibor, said: "Let us change the way we do our farming so that we increase our production. It is good to adopt modern technologies that have succeeded in developed economies."
