The status of dairy development in the highly dairy and potential dairy counties in Kenya

Dairy cattle production contributes approximately 6-8% of Kenya’s gross domestic product, creates jobs along the value chain, and plays a key role in food security. However, most of the data used in this industry are based on cross sectional surveys, projections, and estimates, making it difficult to draw concrete conclusions about milk production, consumption, and marketing patterns. To address this gap, this study collected data from 4 highly dairy and 6 potentially dairy counties in Kenya using a harmonized county-based dairy data gathering and monitoring tool. The aim was to assess the status of dairy cattle development between these 2 categories of counties. The results indicated that the average milk production per farm per day was 7.5 litres and the production per cow per day was 4 litres. Acreage under fodder for silage (p=0.026), milk production per day (p=0.047), milk production per cow per day (p=0.009), milk consumed in the location per day (p=0.042) and number of milk shop retailers (p=0.049) were significantly different (P< 0.05) between highly dairy and potentially dairy counties. Of the total milk produced, 35% (113,153 litres), was sold to itinerant traders. followed by 31% (99,740 litres) consumed at home, while (20%, 91,084 litres) was sold to processors. The remaining 14% (19,039 litres) was unaccounted for, likely due to post-harvest losses. Out of the milk sold to processors, only 29% was processed per day in the sampled counties. Averagely in all 8 counties, 5 milk processors, 27 coolers and 5 pasteurisers were identified in each County in this study. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that while highly dairy counties possess several advantages in terms of infrastructure and productivity, there are significant opportunities for growth in potentially dairy counties, particularly through the enhancement of market structures and extension services.