Milk being offloaded from a truck. [Photo|businessdaily.co.ke]
The once-ailing dairy sector has braved a lot of challenges to significantly contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by an impressive 5% attributed to the revival of cooperative unions.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Dairy Development Policy, cooperatives always play a key role in dairy development leading to the significant growth in the year.
The industry’s leader, Brookside Dairies Director of Milk Procurement, John Gethi told the Business Daily in an interview that through their partnership with local dairy cooperatives, some of them have grown to become giants in the industry.
“As a result of our partnership with dairy groups, many of them have grown to become industry giants who have extended their business beyond the primary role of marketing milk for smallholder farmers and ventured into the provision of financial services,” Gethi said as quoted by the Business Daily.
In addition, Gethi said that in 2017 alone, the company carried out training for all its partner dairy cooperatives that was aimed at empowering farmers and giving them exposure.
“This year alone we targeted nearly all our partner dairy cooperatives in our extension service program. We carried out training sessions in collaboration with these groups in order to empower members and expose them to the best practices in dairy cow husbandry,” Gethi said.
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