President William Ruto, during the New Kenya Co-operative Creameries (New KCC) upgrade in Nyahururu, Laikipia County, has directed the purchase of milk from farmers at an increased rate of Ksh50 per litre, up from the current Ksh40.
Addressing the gathering, Ruto emphasized the importance of timely payments, decreeing that farmers will receive their dues every 15 days starting July 1.
This move aims to eradicate milk hawking, a consequence of delayed payments.
Furthermore, the New KCC Nyahururu Factory is set to play a pivotal role in processing over 150,000 litres of milk daily, a substantial increase from the current 80,000 litres, catering to more than five counties.
President Ruto underscored the government’s commitment to reforming the dairy sector, allocating Ksh.5 billion to modernize New KCC, enhancing its efficiency to meet farmers’ evolving needs.
Ruto stated, “The Government will make the New KCC more efficient, facilitate training, invest in value addition, and secure lucrative markets to offer better returns to milk farmers. Our goal is to double production to over 10 billion litres yearly for sustained growth.”
In a bid to support farmers, the government, as promised by President Ruto, will enhance access to seasonal credit through the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) with an allocated fund of Ksh10 billion.
Additionally, President Ruto assured farmers of timely availability of subsidised fertilisers at Ksh2,500 this season, emphasizing that investing in agriculture is pivotal for wealth creation, expanding opportunities, and reducing the overall cost of living.
