NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 28 – Brookside Dairy has announced an increase in producer prices for milk as an incentive to farmers with the onset of reduced milk supply in the country.
Farmers selling between one and 500 kilos of milk will be paid Sh25 per kilo, while those delivering between 501 kilos to 1,000 kilos will be paid Sh26 per kilo. Those delivering over 1,000 kilos will earn Sh27 per kilo.
The new price structure takes effect from October 1.
In addition, Brookside Dairy will pay Sh3 as transport compensation for every kilo of milk delivered to the company’s collection centres around the country.
This means farmers can now earn upto Sh30 for delivering milk to the processor.
Brookside Dairy Procurement and Extension Services General Manager John Gethi said the increased prices were meant to motivate farmers to increase their milk production throughout the year and to ensure a consistent and steady supply even during dry seasons, when milk production traditionally declines.
The country is currently experiencing reduced milk production and the scenario could worsen with the impeding La Nina phenomenon that was predicted by the Meteorological Department recently.
The current shortages sharply contrast with the milk surplus experienced at the beginning of the year where milk production had shot up, forcing dairy processors to give away thousands of litres of milk daily for free as a stop-gap measure aimed at finding an outlet for this excess supply.
Mr Gethi called on farmers to register with Brookside where they will not only enjoy the new prices, but also other benefits under the company’s farmer extension program that include receiving feeds on credit, ability to get loans through a check-off system with several financial institutions, prompt payment for milk delivered and easy delivery through a countrywide milk collection network.
The same farmers will also benefit from the weekly farmer training course that are geared towards equipping them with management skills.
Brookside Dairy has currently partnered with more than 120,000 small-scale dairy farmers around the country.
