Busia County government has initiated a transformative project through its Department of Agriculture. The county has embarked on a strategic program to train and distribute dairy goats to farmers in milk cooperatives across its regions. This initiative, part of the Kenya Livestock and Commercialization Project (KeLCop), aims to improve the livelihoods of farmers and stabilize the local milk market.
The project targets four wards within Busia County: Elugulu in Butula sub-county, Bunyala North in Budalangi sub-county, Nambuku/Namboboto in Samia sub-county, and Amukura West in Teso South. A total of 46 dairy goats have been distributed to various self-help groups in these wards. This move is particularly timely, given the current high milk prices at retail and supermarkets, which have strained household budgets and affected local consumers.
Mr. Radoli Shiundu, the KeLCop coordinator for Busia County, outlined the project’s goals and selection criteria. The chosen wards were selected based on factors such as population density, the presence of potential partners, and prevailing poverty levels. Shiundu emphasized that the project’s success could lead to its expansion into other parts of the county. “We are currently focusing on these four wards, but our aim is to upscale the project and spread it to other areas within the county,” he said.
In addition to distributing goats, the project will provide farmers with buck services to improve their indigenous goat breeds. By introducing dairy bucks to indigenous goats, the program aims to enhance the overall quality of the goat breeds and, consequently, the milk produced. This is expected to offer farmers better returns and contribute to increased milk production in the county.
Busia County currently produces 27,367,551 liters of milk annually, with the highest production coming from Nambale, Teso North, Teso South, and Butula. Despite this significant production, the county faces challenges with milk collection and processing, as it only has six dairy cooperatives. This limited infrastructure hampers the efficiency of milk collection and processing, leading to potential losses for farmers.
Previously, the county has made efforts to boost dairy farming through the “County Dairy Heifers Program,” which distributed 465 dairy heifers to over 186 farmer groups across seven sub-counties during the FY 2019/2020. An additional 247 heifers were distributed in the 2021/2022 fiscal year. However, the current focus on dairy goats represents a shift towards a more sustainable and cost-effective approach to increasing milk production.
Mildred Okello Musumba, a member of the Bulemia Dairy Goat Farmers’ self-help group, praised the initiative. She highlighted the economic advantages of goat farming compared to traditional dairy cows. “Farmers who rear five dairy goats stand to benefit 45 percent more than those with one dairy cow,” Musumba noted. Goats require less feed and space while maintaining high milk prices, making them a more viable option for many farmers.
George Mulamba, a dairy goat farmer from Bukhalalire in Marachi Central ward, called for the establishment of more milk collection centers and cold-storage infrastructure. He pointed out that the lack of such facilities results in significant losses due to milk spoilage before reaching processing centers. Additionally, he criticized the delayed payments by New KCC and exploitation by milk processors, who offer lower prices compared to other regions.
The county government of Busia faces a pressing need to address these issues and ensure that dairy parks are established across all sub-counties. This would help mitigate milk wastage, support local farmers, and stabilize the milk market. As the project progresses, stakeholders hope it will pave the way for a more resilient and profitable dairy sector in Busia County.
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