Kenya dairy farmers participating in USAID program. Photo credit: Robin Johnson/USAID
As a Dairy Value Chain Coordinator, I help Kenyan farmers apply innovative ideas and technologies to increase milk production by changing the way they manage their dairy cows. I’m able to do this through the USAID-supported Kenya Dairy Sector Competitiveness Program, which aims to increase the quantity and quality of milk produced by smallholder farmers, and to link them to the growing market for dairy products. By teaching the dairy farmers more efficient techniques, production has increased, raising incomes and helping them adapt to unforeseen environmental shocks and stresses.
The dairy sector in Kenya contributes 14 percent of agricultural GDP and four percent of overall GDP, and is growing by five percent or more each year. We’ve worked with the Government of Kenya to help produce a National Dairy Master Plan with the objective of achieving a seven percent annual rate of growth in the sector.
Sara Maiya is a Kenyan farmer who, wanting to learn how to better allocate her resources and get the most out of her herd, attended one of our workshops. As a result, Sara began to grow her own fodder, manually cutting and storing it to preserve it for the dry season. She dug a shallow well to have water for her cows year round. She adopted a zero-grazing approach, which we recommend as a best practice for farmers with small plots of land.
As a result, Sara has seen her milk production increase from 5 liters to 15 liters per day per cow. As her yields increased, Sara went from selling her milk to a local milk café to joining a dairy farmers’ cooperative that bulk sells her milk with other farmers who in turn sells to a commercial dairy processor. Along with the other farmers in the cooperative, Sara has instituted new techniques to adapt to Kenya’s changing cycles of rain and drought. By adapting and using these new techniques, they are producing a larger and more reliable quantity and quality of milk, creating a reliable source of income in the commercial dairy market.
I’m proud to have helped bring this knowledge and technology to 300,000 smallholder dairy farmers, like Sara, across Kenya. Through farmer-to-farmer outreach and through thousands of private sector service providers that have emerged as the Kenya dairy sector grows, our goal is to ensure these transformational approaches to small holder dairy farming continue to grow and expand to all 1.5 million rural Kenyan families that keep and maintain dairy cows. We hope that long after this program has ended, Kenyan farmers will continue to increase their economic resilience despite recurring droughts and the subsequent spikes in staple food prices that result.
This is yet another example of how aid doesn’t always mean “giving”, it sometimes means “teaching”, and from what I can see teaching is often greater than giving. I think this method of teaching innovative and creative new ways for farmers to increase their production is key in aiding developing countries. Even more important is allowing these agriculturally centered nations to turn this strength into economic growth. It is encouraging to see aid organizations adapting their aid to fit the needs of the individualized populations that they serve. Not every population needs food and basic survival supplies, this group of Kenyan farmers just simply needed to benefit from the agricultural and economic knowledge that USAID could provide. I think this is a step in the right direction for USAID and other aid organizations.
I have had the benefits of interacting with the farmers who have benefited from this program. This program has been truly transformative. My guess estimate is that each of the 300,000 farmers are creating around 30 jobs directly or indirectly thus creating an ecosystem of 6,000,000 jobs.
As Proactive Media we are proud to have worked closely with KDSCP especially in working with stakeholders in reviving the Kenya Milk Program. KDSCP has also been very helpful in generating models for the national E-Dairy framework that will help build efficiency and market information in the industry.
The dairy sector represents the single most opportunity for economic stimulus in Kenya. The role that Mary and the KDSCP team have played in this endevour is exemplary.
It is such efforts from KDSCP, Land ‘O Lakes and USAID that will help steer Kenya into a middle income economy by the year 2030.
Knowledge on dairy farming as a business has helped me to improve my life.I have four dairy cows, I practice horticulture and pay school fees comfortably. With this activity I have created employment for two people working full time at the farm.Thany you USAID, the American people and Land O’ Lakes.
I am an accredited Business Development Service consultant working with an indigenous Faith Based development and Training Organization, Future Focus Development(FFD)in Kenya.I was one of the privileged Milk shed Coordinators in-charge of Kinangop in the Kenya Dairy Sector Competitiveness program(KDSCP).To sum up my responsibilities,I was facilitating activities of all the key actors of the milk value chain-producers,actors,facilitators,and capacity builders.The program employed the BDS approach and in my view this was found to be workable as is evident today.The BDS service providers after being linked to producers are now happy to have increased business while the producers are enjoying a better price for their products.One cooperative society’s chairman,Mr Simon Ngugi proudly said “when the program started our membership was 600 producing only 4,500litres of milk daily.Today we have a membership of 1,400 with a daily milk intake of 8,000litres.Soon we plan to put up a processing plant to add value to our milk.This will give our farmers better returns” On my part as the milk shed coordinator,I have had a chance to meet more clients and my services as a consultant are in great demand from both the cooperative society,farmers and actors of the milk value chain.
The best one can do to a people is to help them realize that they a lot of strength from within and from valuing the roles of each player within a value chain !! This is what the USAID funded Land O Lakes” Kenya Dairy Sector Competitiveness Program has done through the BDS approach.Having been a facilitator in this Program for the last 4 years, I have seen communities, businesses,and individuals change positively before my own eyes !More inter community linkages are thriving where there were none,more business services being offered , accessed and afforded , higher production per cow per day and more money into the pockets of each player!I see more contracts between the milk suppliers and processors, more check-off system arrangements between Service Providers and the Dairy Cooperatives leading to constant availability of all the required services at the farm level! How sweet !!Long live the BDS APPROACH as a catalyst to spur sustainable economic growth among Dairy farmers.
This is a wonderful and welcome development. Just as the saying goes “If you give a man fish to eat, he has food for the day. But if you teach him to fish, he has food for life”. I’m proud of this initiative. The world truly need more of this great deeds.
I am now an credited Business Development Service Consultant. I was privileged to work with a funded program by the American people through KDSCP as a project coordinator in Lessos Milk shed where I worked with 18 cooperatives, 78 service providers,and reached 31,518 households who have improved their lives through the sale of quality milk and 3,051 farmers has accessed loans through financial institution.I was facilitating all activities from the farm to the consumer.The program employed the BDS approach where I identified Local service providers, built their capacity and Linked them to farmers to provide services that increased incomes of small scale farmers and therefore they are more resilient to drought and are no longer beneficiaries of food aid. The program has helped me as individual from Project coordinator to MD of Star Consultant Enterprise based in Kenya in North Rift Region(Eldoret)now a person with her own company and right now I have created employment of five people working with me. I will continue to provide services as a consultant to all the farmers in this Milkshed. We thank the American people be blessed
KDSCP has been a master piece and a good initiative sponsored by the American people through Land O Lakes. In Nyeri milkshed where i was previliged to serve as a coordinator for over 3 yrs, I witnessed growth and development especially in the cooperative movement and Self help groups enlisted in the program.
A case in point is one group by name MIK which was bulking less than 1000lts of milk per day when the program started and had a membership of 530 farmers.
After a period of 3 yrs,the Dairy group had transformed itself to a well organized limited company with elected Directors and membership of over 1800 farmers collecting and marketing over 11000lts of milk daily.In addition the group have constructed a milk cooling/processing plant within Karatina Town and are doing value addition .Payment to farmers have increased with over 160% from Ksh 18 to Ksh 29 per Lt.
Development of Demofarms across the Milkshed have also been a positive indicator of good things born out of the Partnership of the two people.
In short,KDSCP will leave behind a noble legacy worth to be replicated in other regions in this country and other developing economies of third world.
I’d really want to know if you have any office in Muranga town, and also if you have any presence around Kangari in Murang’a county. Regards.
i want to start a dairy farm in naivasha and im currently carying out my reasearch.how can u jhelp me acquire knowlege on th best dairy breeds feeding them and evrything about dairy farming.i plan to start with 4 cows.kindly reply coz i want to take dairy farming as a busines
We do have projects in Muranga. You can find our work on our website: http://kenya.usaid.gov/project-map/muranga.
You can get more information from our Dairy Project, in collaboration with the Dairy and Rural Development Foundation, on our website: http://www.dairyproject.org.pk/themes/html/page.php?id=16.
I want to know if you have any office in Machakos town, and also if you have any presence around Masii. Regards.
Leonard, please visit our website where you’ll find information about our programs in Kenya, as well as how to contact our office in Nairobi. http://kenya.usaid.gov/
As development professional, the Kenya Dairy Sector Competitiveness Program (KDSCP) has broadened my experience in developing smallholder farmers’ business abilities. I worked for KDSCP in Transnzoia, Nyeri, Kericho and Kabete facilitating production, business development and co-ordination services. In Transnzoia, we helped strengthen small business organizations (SBOs), and then brought them together to market their milk as a unit raising the selling price from KES 18 to over KES 40 when the main processor New KCC was paying bonus to encourage bulking. We also demonstrated many farmers how they could turn the maize crop residues into valuable feed by use of urea. In Nyeri we assisted a number of SBOs do bankable business plans and also helped in federating them to sale as one.
My biggest learning was however, in Kericho where we managed to mobilise stake holders and resources to train 19 breed inspectors in a region that originally had 1 breed inspector and then went further to organise the first ever breeders’ show in the region. The show market the revival of the regions agricultural show that had not been held for over 20 years. With the availability of breed inspectors and revival of the show, Kericho dairy farmers are now able to get more breeding services and also get more exposure on breeding information at the shows. The organizers are aiming to include SALE of animals as an important objective of future shows. I am very grateful to USAID for the opportunity that enabled me broaden my facilitation expertise in smallholder farmer development.
Thanks for sharing your story David!
i am one of them in the part of eldama ravine koibatek distric.Iwill not coment so murch on it , burt dat is the way.nawezaje pata ngombe on sell,na mpango ya kua mfugaji.
I am one of the facilitators who has been working with the USAID sponsored KDSCP implemented by Land o lakes and has witnessed farmers, service providers,processors,government agencies changing their approach in doing dairy business.As a coordinator in one of the milk shed (Transnzoia)i was instrumental in forming dairy cooperatives in the area where there were none including the famous Koitogos dynamic dairy cooperative headed by Mary Rono.Other cooperatives include Meeboot cooperative which has transformed lives of elderly and widowed women in Mt Elgon after their husbands were murdered by the infamous Saboat land defense forces (SLDF)
The program in collaboration with IOM helped in reconciling communities living in Transnzoia by providing a cooling tank to Cherangany dairy group which facilitated in milk cooling hence farmers earning more income.Cherangany dairy group was able to collect up to 26,000 liters of milk a day earning 12000 dollars a day thus transforming farmers lives.
Farmers in Marakwet districts who had never marketed milk before were able to bulk their milk which was then sold to processors earning them over KSH. 15 million. Farmers in Western province who are not very familiar in dairy farming have now embraced the business Naitiri cooperative being on of them. Mumias sugar company which is the leading sugar miller in East Africa is encouraging its cane farmers to keep dairy animals which will boost their income through sale of milk and breeding stock and use manure to fertilize the sugar cane fields.
Service providers in the region have improved their services to the farmers hence earning more income as well as those of the farmers. Those who used to provide only one technology diversified their services. Over 10 inseminators some of whom were using bicycles and foot bought new motorcycles to serve the farmers courtesy of training by KDSCP in understanding the benefits of acquiring loans.Some of the SP are consulting for NGOS through the training they acquired from the program.
THANKS USAID THANKS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
Thank you, Isaac, for sharing your inspiring story and for helping us transform lives around the globe.
From way back in 2008 when i took part in the TOT and pretesting of questionnaires for KDSCP and subsequent evaluation tasks in Kabete,Gatanga and Nyeri milksheds and later cordinating the Gatanga Milk shed activities..its a road worth trending interacting with farmers service providers and stakeholders in the Dairy sector.Its has transformed my thinking and approach to development.From weak group structures to organized stable cooperatives providing sustainable services to their members using new technologies to make work easier, cheaper and enjoyable.I saw one New Nginda transform from a Self Help collecting 3000ltrs per day to a technology compliant cooperative collecting 6000+ltrs per day and paying framers timely and membership growing despite many challenges.Is that not being competitive!Our farmers need knowledge and linkages.Thank you and may the work be a mastered seed———-John
Hezekiah Nyaga
heznyaga@ymail.com
4th February 2013
Special thanks to KDSCP through Mary Munene of Land ‘O’ Lakes. Although the sector did not work directly in Eastern Province, the lady through land ‘O’ lakes assisted us to form milk groups during the years 2008 -2009. The group based in Kirinyaga, Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties formed a federation which today is collecting 15,000 litres of milk daily
The programme too has assisted farmers to form regional groups in the name of small scale dairy farmers association based in the Rift Valley, Central and Eastern provinces. We pray that Kenya Dairy sector competitiveness programme completes the formation of this vital body to the National level.
Informed sources tell me that the programme will soon be rolled in Tharaka Nithi of Eastern province. Kindly incorporate Kirinyaga Embu Meru Marketing Federation which has in the past worked with Tharaka Nithi as far as Dairy is concerned .
Am happy to come across this. I am a member of a group of farmers back in Muranga county in gatanga at a place called kiarutara. We have been trying to educate ourselves and have gone further to even get a piece of plot where we plan to one day put a cooling plant for milk.Can someone assist me on how we can get into a program-me with KDSCP or any other program-mes to further educate our members and even help us achieve our objectives, for better livelihood of our people.
There is no doubt the KDSCP was a great initiative and with the focus of uplifting the farmers welfare and exposing the potential the Dairy value-chain has. The good aspect of KDSCP aimed at making the initiative sustainable even after the exit of Land O’lakes and this is where Mobipay Kenya Limited, found a convergence point.
Through Agrilife mobile phone platform, farmers data is collected and the produce(milk) is assigned a value for farmers to access credit thro’ their phones for purchases of in-put or basic consumables. The farmers are also linked to service providers whom they have to interact with. The service providers are given POS devices to enable transactions with farmers phones. The visibility of farmers production is transposed to buyers in the market thro’ a portal. Thus KDSCP initiative has provided the ground for mobile technology to penetrate agriculture, to unlock the farmer’s potential and make it sustainable and be seen as an enterprise. We are working with some of the farmer groups under Gatanga Milkshed.
I have my dairy cow whcih has a reproductive problem. It has been insaminated for a number of times but fail to hold the preganancey. Kindly help me way out.
Hi Hillary, you can learn more about our KDSCP program on our website: http://kenya.usaid.gov/programs/economic-growth/1252. You can also find contact information there.
Hello, you can find some resources on our website: http://www.dairyproject.org.pk/themes/html/page.php?id=16.
great work you are doing, we need to work on getting the african agricultural and industrial revolution on its feet. India did it, now its Africa’s turn.
As they say, dont give a man fish, but teach him how to fish and you have blessed him for a life time
Hi Njenga,
we are in link with Kiarutara dairy and have been training them.We actually had a meeting on 29th Jan at Gatura with the executive.You can also get me through 0722929301(Thika town).
Thank you for interest.
Great project with admirable impacts on sustainable income generation from the reached farmers and service providers.
Gabriel Karia worked on the KDSCP program as the production capacity building specialist in the Kinangop milk shed working with eight dairy cooperatives and over 75 business service providers.Gabriel is a consultant in livestock farming with a special passion for Dairy farming and has extensive experience in Dairy cattle production including breeding,feeds and feeding and Dairy cattle classification and Judging.Through the KDSP program,capacity building was through Farmer Field Schools ( FFS) applying a BDS model where Service providers were linked to farmers through their organisations for sustained growth of the milk production sector.
Thank you for your help, Gabriel!