Farmers contracted by milk processor Brookside Dairy in the central and southern Rift Valley region have been paid Sh1.9 billion for deliveries in 2024.
The payout represents a 29 percent increase on 2023 earnings, reflecting the benefits of favourable weather and the adoption of better husbandry practices.
Narok County led the pack, with farmers receiving Sh1 billion for raw milk sold to the processor, up from Sh680 million in 2023.
Farmers in the Nakuru received Sh854 million, up from Sh794 million in 2023, while those in Kericho and Bomet counties earned a combined Sh69 million, an increase of nine percent on the previous year.
Emmanuel Kabaki, Brookside’s general manager for milk procurement, said the processor was committed to strengthening its partnerships with farmers through sustainable initiatives and investment in climate-resilient practices that ensure optimal milk production across seasons.
“Our commitment is to continue providing a guaranteed market for milk supplied by farmers and to make timely payment for it. This enables the dairy sub-sector to play its crucial role of turning the wheels of the economies of the rural areas,” Mr Kabaki said in a statement issued in Nakuru.
He said Brookside was committed to making the dairy enterprise a source of guaranteed family income.
“We continue to invest in cold chain infrastructure across key milk sheds to ensure that our farmers have milk cooling facilities closer to them, as part of our wider quality control systems at the upstream phase of the value chain,” Mr Kabaki said.
“We will continue to procure 100 percent of all contract volumes supplied by our farmers. We urge farmers to continue preparing and conserving adequate fodder to ensure that milk production remains at optimum levels across all seasons. We have established fodder resource centres across the country for propagation and distribution of Super Napier grass to farmers,” he added.
Brookside is also working with farmers on the improvement of dairy cow genetics and has distributed semen straws and liquid nitrogen to partner groups and medium-sized farms for artificial insemination, he said.
