Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has addressed the growing milk supply constraints facing the nation, assuring the public that government interventions are underway to stabilize the sector while urging farmers to immediately scale up output.
The address comes as retail shelves across key urban centers experience lower stock levels and price hikes due to declining formal sector milk intake. The shortfall, primarily triggered by reduced rainfall that disrupted pasture growth and drove up feed costs, has squeezed dairy farmers nationwide.
Speaking to stakeholders in the sector, CS Kagwe emphasized that long-term stabilization requires a direct increase in farm-level yields and a shift toward modern farming methods rather than temporary fixes.
“The first thing is to increase milk production,” Kagwe noted. “Fifty-seven million litres is not enough to sustain a processing factory at full capacity… The thing that drives the cost of milk production, and ultimately determines whether a dairy farmer or investor makes money, is the cost of animal feed.”
To address declining yields per cow, the government has subsidized sexed semen—reducing prices significantly to help smallholders breed high-yielding herds.
The ministry is promoting local production of feed raw materials, such as yellow maize and soya beans, to lower overall production costs for farmers.
The government is transitioning the dairy sector to reward farmers based on milk quality—specifically protein and butterfat content—to boost returns and incentivize higher standards.
Over 230 bulk milk coolers, valued at KES 1.43 billion, are being distributed to dairy cooperatives across counties to minimize post-harvest losses and keep raw milk fresh.
The ministry reiterated its stance against unregulated milk hawking, urging consumers to stick to traceable, processed channels to safeguard public health and strengthen organized cooperative networks.
The Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) expects production to bounce back as seasonal rainfall improves pasture availability, easing pressure on supply chains and retail prices.
