Livestock farmers in Kiambu County have been challenged to join cooperatives to enable them access interest free and low loans offered by financial institutions working with the county government to scale up the livestock sub sector in the county.
Esther Wangui, a Jamii bora cooperative director in Thika said the credit advanced to cooperative societies by lenders in the dairy and meat value chains at interest-free rates are aimed at facilitating production, processing, breed improvement services and marketing expansion of farmers’ produce.
Speaking in Karibaribi Farm on Thursday when he addressed farmers, the director underscored the important role played by the Cooperative sub-sector, and assured local farmers that Jamii bora will continue to provide a conducive environment for the growth of the sector.
"In an effort to help you farmers boost cooperatives in this area, Jamii bora cooperative will offer coolers to every cooperative society you come up with in the entire county for the purchase and installation of equipment to assist in value addition and improvement of products," she said.
‘We will further in the same period construct a milk processing plant here in Karibaribi at a cost of Sh2.7 million just to spur the dairy enterprise development in this area," she added.
Wangui said it was regrettable that the vast county with high potential for livestock keeping still relies on neighbouring counties for the supply of milk because farmers had not given dairy farming the seriousness it deserves.
She challenged local livestock farmers to purchase pasture seeds and establish their own blocks to cushion their animals from the effects of recurrent prolonged dry spells and avoid losses.