Dairy farmers in West Pokot are set to boost their milk productivity following the purchase of two cooling machines by the county government.
The coolers, each with a capacity of 5,000 litres, cost the county government Sh25 million.
While dispatching the machines to the highlands of Lelan and Tapach, West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin encouraged farmers to produce more milk and make use of the coolers.
“These machines will help minimise wastage because they are capable of preserving the produce before delivery. Farmers can now take fresh milk to processing plants without worrying that it might have gone bad,” said Mr Kachapin.
He observed that Eldoret airport, which is currently under-utilised could be used to transport processed milk products overseas.
Sina Dairy Farmers Association chairman Samuel Lotim said the coolers would help reduce milk spoilage, which had cost farmers millions of shillings.
“Farmers have in the past incurred heavy losses, especially during the rainy season when our roads are impassable. Now we have a reason to celebrate because we can keep our milk fresh until the point of delivery,” said Lotim.
He added that dairy farmers were now motivated to produce more milk, but urged the government to buy more coolers and distribute them across the entire county.
“We are motivated by the efforts of the county government to support us. The coolers will help preserve our milk before we supply to the processors,” he said.
County Executive for Livestock Josiah Cheruiyot encouraged the dairy farmers to rear high-yielding breeds since the milk handling capacity had increased.
Meanwhile, fruit and vegetable farmers from Lomut in West Pokot have complained about the pathetic state of roads linking them to markets. “Vehicles get stuck on the muddy roads while large gullies hinder them from reaching the farms. This has cost us dearly,” said Lumusin Sidane, a mango farmer. He singled out the Marich-Lomut-Chesegon road as one of the worst.
Source: The Standard Tuesday, August 12th 2014
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