Milk Supply Falls in Nyeri as Feed Costs and Dry Weather Hit Dairy Farmers

Milk supply across Nyeri County has declined sharply as dairy farmers struggle with high feed costs and prolonged cold and dry weather, affecting processors, retailers and consumers.

A survey of milk delivery points in Nyeri town and surrounding areas found that some dairy processors have been forced to reduce supplies to customers as deliveries from farmers continue to fall.

At Meskins Dairy near Gatitu Trading Centre, daily milk collections have dropped to about 6,000 litres from 10,000 litres earlier in the year. Operations Manager Jackson Maina said the decline became noticeable in June and has continued to affect the company’s ability to meet customer demand.

“Today, we are only receiving 6,000 litres daily, which is far below the daily demand of our clients,” Maina said.

He attributed the decline largely to the rising cost of commercial dairy feeds and the prolonged cold and dry conditions. The weather has affected the availability of Napier grass and other fodder, forcing farmers to rely more heavily on purchased feeds.

Maina said some farmers had reduced or abandoned milk production because the cost of maintaining dairy cattle had become difficult to sustain. He said improved rainfall would be critical to restoring pasture and easing pressure on farmers.

A similar situation has emerged at Senior Nyeri Dairy, where daily milk deliveries have fallen from about 30,000 litres earlier in the year to 25,000 litres in September.

Plant manager Robert Wambugu said the decline had affected the facility’s operations and forced the company to lay off some workers as it adjusts to reduced milk volumes.

Wambugu said the shortage of affordable animal feed was making dairy farming increasingly difficult for suppliers. The reduced intake has also affected the company’s distribution network and operating hours.

“Right now we are closing down at 5 pm since by then we have already sold out our remaining stock,” he said.

The effects are also being felt by consumers in Nyeri town, with some major supermarkets reporting shortages of popular milk brands.

Samuel Kasyoki, a manager at Magunas Supermarket, said reduced deliveries from dairy processors had resulted in gaps on retail shelves. He linked the situation to the rising cost of animal feed, which has increased farmers’ production expenses.

Some brands that previously retailed at around Sh58 for a 500-millilitre packet are now selling at approximately Sh62. Other brands are retailing at about Sh65 for the same quantity, while KCC and Brookside have retained prices of around Sh65.

Jacqueline Maigua of Chieni Supermarket said the shortage had also contributed to higher prices for some 500-millilitre milk packets. She said several brands remained available, but others were arriving in smaller quantities than usual.

Maigua expects prices to ease once milk supplies recover.

The challenges facing Nyeri dairy farmers reflect wider pressures in Kenya’s milk sector. According to figures cited by the Kenya Dairy Board, national milk demand stands at about eight billion litres annually, compared with production of approximately 5.76 billion litres.

The Kenya Dairy Board has linked recent production declines to the combination of cold and dry weather and high dairy feed costs. Lower farm-level production has reduced the volumes available to processors, creating pressure throughout the milk value chain.

For dairy farmers in Nyeri, the immediate concern remains access to affordable feed and adequate fodder. A return of favourable weather conditions would help restore pasture and could gradually increase milk production, but sustained high input costs remain a major challenge for the sector.

Until supplies improve, processors and retailers are likely to continue operating below normal capacity, while consumers face the possibility of temporary shortages and higher milk prices.