This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
On August 8, 2020, a new milestone was achieved in Samburu County with the launch of a Sh36 million milk processing plant.
The plant, commissioned by the Samburu Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society, has a capacity of processing 2,000 litres of milk per hour.
Located in Maralal town, it is the first-ever milk processing plant in the county and the first cooperative in the region to sell its own branded milk, dubbed 'Samburu Fresh Milk'.
According to Mr Julius Lalampaa, chairperson of the cooperative, the plant has started production, and farmers will no longer worry about wastage and lack of market.
"We have now started production of fresh milk. Our farmers will no longer worry about wastage and lack of market," Mr Lalampaa said.
The cooperative has already made contacts with supermarkets and retail shops to supply them with the milk.
However, Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda warned that the project could face hurdles if dairy farmers fail to increase milk production to meet the demand of the processing plant.
"I urge our farmers to take up this opportunity to supply milk," she said.
