The co-operative has made the stride through the support of Wezesha
Kirinyaga Empowerment Programme implemented by the county government.
The county has helped install a yoghurt making plant with the capacity to produce up to 200
litres of yoghurt per hour at the co-operative,
enabling it to launch the product dubbed Runto Yoghurt.
The co-operative’s chairperson Joyce Wanjiku said value
addition will not only provide an enhanced income for farmers but also enable
them to have their own branded product.
"Having our own brand makes us proud and will put our
co-operative on the map across the country,” she said, adding that the product
will be distributed in shops across the country.
She lauded the county government for its support saying the
co-operative has over the years received milk coolers and transport haulers
among other equipment that have reduced its post-harvest losses and helped generate
more income.
She said the co-operative produces about 9,000 litres of
milk daily, up from the 3,000 it produced before receiving the county’s
support.
This led to the need for value addition with the
co-operative contributing 30 percent of the funds while the county contributed
the rest.
The county government has been offering subsidised
Artificial Insemination (AI) and animal feeds, and supplying co-operatives with
milk coolers and backup generators.
Farmers have also been trained on livestock diseases and
husbandry, capacitating them to boost their production.
The county has about 90,000 dairy cows that produce an
average of 65.3 million liters of milk annually.
Agriculture County Executive Committee Member (CECM) John
Gachara said Kirinyaga has a huge potential in dairy production and various
interventions by the county administration has seen it progressively increased.
"The county government is committed to making dairy
farming a viable economic engine in Kirinyaga. We are achieving this by
improving our dairy cattle breeds as well as improving access to affordable and
quality animal feeds”.
Gachara said the objective is to increase the average milk
production per cow from seven to 20 liters and that that can only be achieved
through quality breeding.
Gachara encouraged farmers to take full advantage of the
dairy sector revitalization initiatives by the County, emphasizing that higher
productivity will lead to a stronger local economy.
"We want dairy farming to be lucrative for our farmers.
Expanding into yogurt production and other value-added products like
pasteurized milk means we are creating more opportunities for growth," he
explained.
Finance CECM
Jackline Njogu said other co-operatives such as Kirima, Pondago, New Ngariama, Rukingo
and Kirinyaga Dairy have also benefitted from the revitalization initiatives.
She disclosed that through the Kirinyaga Investment and
Development Authority (KIDA), the County government will help the cooperative
in marketing the Runto yogurt brand to increase brand visibility and
distribution throughout the region.
"We envision Runto becoming a household name and KIDA will assist with marketing to reach more consumers. Next, we plan to help the cooperative venture into pasteurized milk to further diversify income for farmers," Njogu said.
