Dairy animals worth Sh3.76 million have been distributed to Vihiga farmers by the county government in bid to boost milk production in the area.
While giving out the animal Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo said milk production in the county is below the demand curve.
“We need to increase our milk production in order to cut down milk importation from our neighbours,” he said.
“We are producing only 1,500 litres of milk daily but if we take care of these animal, we will increase the production,” he added.
Ottichilo said the county is seeking to increase its milk productivity from the current 1,500 to over 5,000 litres.
Speaking at Mbaya in Lugaga/Wamuluma Ward, the governor challenged farmers to double their efforts to boost milk production.
Ottichilo said his administration is in talks with the Germany Government through the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) to put up a milk processing plant in the county.
He said once milk production increases and with the milk processing plant in place, job opportunities for youths will be on rise and other business opportunities will open up.
Agriculture chief officer Pamela Mahila said currently, the county produces 29 million litres of milk annually which is way below the expected target of 65 million litres. Her Cooperatives counterpart Agava Makhumbiri challenged farmers to form cooperative societies so as to pool their resources together.
The County Government of Vihiga through the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives is committed to scaling up agricultural production and in this regard 57 farmer groups,10 of them being youth groups, have benefited from dairy cattle, chic incubators, brooders and generators in a bid to upscale production.
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara
