President William Ruto has directed the New Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) to pay milk farmers Kes 50 a liter beginning March 1 and ensure the price never fluctuates.
Speaking on Wednesday during the commissioning of the upgraded New KCC in Nyahururu, Laikipia County, he said the government is committed to reforming the dairy sector to boost farmers’ earnings.
Further, he said the Kenya Kwanza Government is spending Kes 5 billion modernizing New Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) to enhance its efficiency to meet the needs of farmers.
He observed that the goal of bolstering KCC’s processing capacity is to ensure it handles the entire volume of milk produced by farmers.
“From July 1, farmers will be paid every 15 days. This is how we will eliminate milk hawking which arises when farmers are not paid for two to three months,” he said.
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Additionally, he said India has committed to supporting agricultural transformation to the tune of Kes 37 billion, out of which Kes 5 billion will be used in the modernization of KCC.
The President also observed that the Government would help farmers get quality animal breeds that do not consume a lot of feed to maximize profits.
He noted that the government will also enhance farmers’ access to seasonal credit through the Agricultural Finance Corporation.
“The government has allocated AFC Kes 10 billion for this purpose,” he said.