The Kakamega government is seeking to improve milk production ahead of the completion of the Sh150 million processing plant in Malava.
Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said his administration has set aside Sh120 million this financial year for the construction of smart dairies to boost milk production.
The programme is part of the county government’s plan to increase milk production to sustain operations of the plant.
Speaking while touring the Bukura Agricultural Training Centre, Oparanya said they are putting up smart dairy farms in every constituency.
He said the farms are already complete and operational in Lurambi, Khwisero, Matungu and Malava. The remaining eight are under construction and are to be completed by the end of the year.
Agriculture and Livestock chief officer Jeremiah Namunyu said smart farms are envisaged to produce a minimum of 500 litres of milk daily.
They will also be used as a nucleus for the collection of milk by the factory and serve as demonstration centres for farmers.
“Construction of the milk plant is 90 per cent complete and will run two lines, each with a minimum capacity of 5,000 litres of milk daily. We created the twin lines deliberately because we’re still building capacity for farmers to produce more milk that may pose challenges if the plant runs a single line,” Namunyu said.
Governor Oparanya hopes the plant will solidify his legacy as he exits the stage next year. He has announced that he will ensure all of his flagship projects are completed before his term ends.
The One Cow Initiative, which is run by the county government, is another programme aimed at helping residents upgrade their livestock breeds and increase milk production.
Under the programme, the county government bought and supplied dairy cows to select farmers.
Namunyu said the One Cow Initiative, which had temporarily stopped, has been reintroduced under the Kakamega County Dairy Development Corporation. The corporation will manage the milk factory once complete.
Namunyu said through the initiative, they have distributed over 1,000 dairy cows since the 2017-18 financial year.
“Because the demand for milk will be higher, we need to alter the genetics of the available breeds of stocks and invest more in artificial insemination,” he said.
He said USAID had promised to support the county with the acquisition of machinery. He said the county government had also budgeted for part of the machinery this financial year.
Namunyu said the factory will be run by a partner who will be identified competitively.
Edited by A.N
