Molo: Molo MP Kuria Kimani has urged both national and county governments to intensify farmer education on modern technology and employ more extension officers to help give impactful skills to farmers to boost dairy production to cut down on the cost of importing milk. Speaking in Molo town during the dairy farmer's field day, Kuria noted that Kenya imports an average of 45 million liters of milk annually, urging farmers to capitalize on the huge potential in modern dairy farming which requires small space and proper management to realize real profit.
According to Kenya News Agency, modern technology in dairy farming, including automated milking systems, wearable sensors, and herd management software, boosts productivity, improves animal welfare, and enhances efficiency. Key advancements like precision feeding and AI-driven breeding help farmers reduce costs, manage large herds, and increase milk yields. MP Kuria emphasized the potential for Molo dairy farmers to increase production from 2 liters a day per cow to over 30 liters through the adoption of modern farming techniques.
The sentiments were echoed by Kenya Dairy Board acting director Paul Ndugu and Beth Mbuthia, who called on dairy farmers to embrace value addition on their milk and ensure hygiene for quality production. Director Ndugu highlighted that Nakuru County now produces an average of 400 million liters of milk annually, a 25% improvement since 2020, making it the third leading devolved unit in milk production in the country. This growth has been supported by training provided by processors such as New KCC and Brookside Dairy Limited.
Director Mbuthia urged farmers to join the cooperative movement, which can help eliminate costly middlemen and increase their share of the producer price paid by processors. Farmers, led by Joyce Mbugua, expressed appreciation for the training provided by the MP and the Kenya Dairy Board, which has improved farming techniques and increased milk production rates.
The AI technology initiative is part of broader efforts to enhance food security and promote livestock breeding. The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has set ambitious goals to increase the country's milk production from the current 5 billion liters annually to 10 billion liters by 2027.