NAIROBI – Milk consumers will keep digging dipper into their pockets to get the precious product. Speaking at a media briefing today Kenya Dairy Board Managing Director Machira Gichohi said this has been resulted from the prolonged dry spell the country has been facing since the beginning of this year.
“The milk shortage has been greatly contributed by the intense heat which is uncomfortable with dairy animals plus the frost which affected hay especially in tea growing areas where the grass dried completely,” said Gichohi.
He said that the total milk production declined by 33 per cent last month and the trend is expected to worsen if the intense heat continues. He further added that the situation is also worsened by the fact that there has been high milk demand in North Eastern and Coast province due to the ongoing war in Somalia, which has blocked illegal milk market.
“We have also noted that illegal milk market which has been going on in North Eastern and Coast part of Kenya has been blocked by the operation Linda Nchi hence high demand from the processing houses,” he noted. “Kenyans have also embraced the milk drinking habit as we have been encouraging them to do therefore making the demand to arise.”
Although the milk supply has gone down Gichohi said that they still have enough milk for consumption in the country. During the meeting the milk processors urged Kenyans not to fear powder milk as it serves the same purpose with the fresh milk. Githunguri Dairy Co-operative was said to have the least decrease of their normal production which was said to have been contributed by the farmers’ loyalty.
For now all the milk stakeholders have agreed to be meeting monthly to assess the milk supply in the country. Although the prices has been shooting up daily, Gichohi expressed optimism saying that this is expected to go back to normal once the long rains season commences.
“Forces of demand are the key determinants of the price we hope that this will come back to normal once the rain commences,” he explained. “Once the cows have enough to consume things we be back to normal; it will just take three to four weeks after the rain has started.” At the same time Kenya Creameries Company KCC chairman Matu Wamae urged the Government to allow duty free importation of yellow maize to subsidize food for cows. “We are urging the Government to help farmers by making sure that animal feeds have gone down,” he reiterated.
