Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia has underscored the need to create milk processing plants at sub-county levels across the county to help net better milk prices. He said the move will see milk processed and packaged at the grassroots in readiness for market instead of relying on other processors, thus increasing the profit margin for the farmers. Speaking while he commissioned a 5,000 liters-per-hour milk pasteurization processing line at the Ol Kalou Dairy plant in Kaimbaga Ward Ol Kalou sub-county the governor noted that Nyandarua was the number two county in milk production in the country with farmers yet to benefit from the produce
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The county boss noted that the creation of the Kshs. 120 million milk processing plant at the dairy will not only grow the rural economy through value addition, but also continue creating more jobs for our youth. The governor challenged the dairy to also venture in animal feed formulation and production to help farmers acquire the feed at better prices to increase milk production. He added that the county was committed toward educating farmers on dairy farming with an intention to subsidize Artificial Insemination (AI) services to help in improving cow breeds.
He noted that they had continued to boost agriculture by improving road infrastructure in rural areas through a road rehabilitation programme that started last year. On his part, Nyandarua Central Deputy County Commissioner Gideon Oyagi hailed the move, noting it was complementing president Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four agenda in food security. He added that the national government had so far donated four milk coolers across the county in support of the dairy sector. The Ol Kalou Dairy plant is also targeting to have a second phase of the expansion that will involve installing a processing line for the long life milk and also targeting processing of 100,000 litres of milk.