The government has embarked on supporting the rising country’s milk production, Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki has said.
He said the good management of dairy farming has seen the country being ranked among the highest producing milk in Africa.
Prof Kindiki said that the government will support the dairy farmers improve more since the sector has created more jobs opportunities.
He was speaking at Limuru dairy and cooperative factory in Limuru town in Kiambu county on Friday, when he flagged off 9 coolers aimed at supporting different dairy factories in Kiambu county.
Kindiki said “The coolers will support over support 21,000 farmers in different sub counties. The government has so distributed 230 milk coolers countrywide and an additional 650 coolers are under procurement for distribution from February”.
He was accompanied by members of parliament John Kiragu (Limuru), John Njuguna (Kiambaa), Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town), Mburu Kahangara (Lari) and Kiambu woman representative Ann Muratha.
The DP added that through the government’s subsidy, prices of fertiliser for all crops and sexed semen for artificial insemination has respectively reduced from 7,000 shillings a bag and 8,000 shillings a dose to 2,000 and 1,400 shillings respectively, boosting production.
Prof Kindiki said apart from direct support to boost agricultural productivity in the crop and livestock sub-sectors, the Government is also investing in the building of roads, fresh produce markets and the provision of other enablers to complete farm to market route support chain.
“1,400 kilometres of roads are under construction in Kiambu County alone at a projected cost of Sh 132 billion shillings, to improve movement of people and goods, including taking agro-products to the market” the DP has said.
He added, ” 12 fresh produce markets are under construction in Kiambu County to provide a dignified trading environment for fresh produce”.
