Dairy stakeholders in Nakuru County are pushing farmers to adopt value addition, improved hygiene, and modern technologies to boost production, reduce imports, and increase household incomes.
Kenya Dairy Board Acting Director Paul Ndugu highlighted the county’s strong performance during a farmers’ field day in Molo town. Nakuru now produces an average of 400 million litres of milk annually — a 25 percent increase since 2020 — making it the third-largest milk producer among devolved units after Kiambu and Murang’a.
“This has been made possible through sustained empowerment by processors such as New KCC and Brookside Dairy Limited through training on good dairy practices that encourage growth in milk volumes,” Ndugu said.
He urged farmers to focus on value addition and strict milk hygiene to ensure consistent quality and better market access. The county has also promoted artificial insemination (AI) using superior semen from approved bulls. Over 7,000 farmers in Nakuru have already upgraded their herds, aiming to shift from local breeds to higher-yielding pedigree animals.
MP Calls for Tech-Driven Dairy Farming
Molo MP Kuria Kimani echoed the call for modernisation, noting that Kenya still imports about 45 million litres of milk annually. He urged both national and county governments to strengthen farmer education and deploy more extension officers.
“Modern farming techniques will lead to producing high-quality milk more easily, faster, and more sustainably,” Kimani said.
He encouraged farmers to move from producing as little as 2 litres per cow daily to over 30 litres through better management. Technologies such as automated milking systems, wearable animal sensors, herd management software, precision feeding, and AI-driven breeding can dramatically improve efficiency and cut costs.
Kimani stressed that modern dairy farming requires less land but delivers higher productivity when supported by proper training and infrastructure.
County Focus on Commercial Agriculture
The events in Molo reflect broader efforts in Nakuru and across the country to shift from subsistence to commercial dairy farming, often referred to as Kilimo Biashara. Processors and development partners continue to train farmers on best practices, while government support through AI services and extension reaches thousands of smallholders.
Nakuru’s dairy sector supports thousands of livelihoods and contributes significantly to the local economy. Stakeholders say sustained investment in training, breed improvement, and value addition will help reduce reliance on imports and stabilise supply.
Farmers at the field day welcomed the messages but called for affordable access to technologies and consistent extension services. Many expressed interest in adopting precision tools and improved breeds to increase yields and incomes.
With Kenya’s dairy industry playing a critical role in nutrition and economic growth, officials say embracing hygiene, value addition, and modern technologies is key to unlocking the sector’s full potential. Both the Kenya Dairy Board and local leaders pledged continued collaboration to support farmers in Nakuru and beyond.
The county government and partners are expected to roll out more training programmes and support services in the coming months to sustain the upward trend in milk production.
