I will reinstate stalled milk coolers’ programme - Ruto

Dairy farmers have a reason to smile following government's pledge to supply milk coolers especially in areas that largely depend on dairy farming as main source of income.

Speaking on Thursday during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens, President William Ruto said dairy farmers struggle with the high cost of feed and challenges of storage, preservation of milk and access to markets.

"In our plan, we have identified dairy and livestock economy as sub-sectors with the quickest economic turnaround time and they will become key drivers in improving food security, creating jobs and boosting exports," he said.

He said the Kenya Kwanza administration has taken immediate steps to reinstate the stalled milk coolers’ programme and the distribution of 650 milk coolers will resume shortly.

The President also addressed concerned on food insecurity in the country.

He said the government will ensure six million bags of subsidised fertiliser will be available to farmers by April next year before the long rains.

"We have also made arrangements to make another six million bags of various types of fertiliser available for the long rains season," he said.

Ruto said irrigation is the ultimate solution in guaranteeing food security and as such the government will foster irrigation as the ultimate solution in guaranteeing food security.

Towards this end, he said plans are underway to construct 100 new dams. 

"In 2017, the government set out to build 57 dams to harness water for irrigation and domestic use. Many did not even start, few are complete while the rest are ongoing. The huge capital outlay required for dam construction in the context of competing budgetary priorities poses a huge challenge to this programme,” he said.

He construction of the dams will be through innovative investment mechanisms through public-private partnerships.

"Consequently, it would be possible to progressively irrigate the three million acres already identified as irrigable land. In the next three years, the government plans to double the land under irrigation to 1.4 million acres," he said.

"Of these, 200,000 acres will be under rice irrigation and 500,000 under other food crops. Rice production in Bunyala, the Tana Delta, Rohole in Garissa, Mwea and Ahero will take priority," he added.

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