Taita plans to increase milk production #kenya

The Taita Taveta government will strengthen dairy
cooperatives to increase milk production, Livestock
executive Vincent Masawi has said.
Masawi said the government will work with industry
players, including processors, to increase milk bulking and
cooling facilities in the county.
"Currently, farmers are selling an average of 4,800kg of raw
milk daily to Brookside through the firm's Wumingu cooling
plant. The cooling plant has a capacity of more than
10,000kg per day, which calls for more work to increase the
daily volumes," he said.
Masawi was speaking at a dairy farmers' field day
organised by Brookside at Mgambonyi in Wundanyi on
Saturday.
He said the government will work with Mwafugha women's
group and Maziwa Teita Trust to increase the number of
dairy cows in each household in the area.
"Our estimation is that a good heifer would cost anything
between Sh70,000 to Sh140,000. We shall be organising
financing through established women's and youth groups in
the county to increase access to quality breeds," Masawi
said.
The government will also train animal breeders and health
assistants to stop unqualified artificial insemination service
providers from exploiting farmers, he said.