This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
Published on July 24, 2019, the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) has announced plans to reintroduce the draft Dairy Regulations 2019, which were suspended in March following public pressure and opposition from farmers.
The regulations, aimed at addressing milk safety and boosting production capacity, were initially met with resistance from farmers who feared they would create loopholes for cheap milk products to be imported from neighboring countries, threatening their livelihoods.
According to KDB Managing Director Margaret Kibogy, the new regulations will require farmers to pasteurize their own milk or send it to a milk cooling facility if they lack capacity, and those who violate the rules risk paying hefty fines of up to half a million shillings.
Ms. Kibogy emphasized that the KDB is gathering views from the public and is keen on coming up with the final document, stating, “Farmers and others affected should, therefore, be ready to work with the new guidelines which, among other things, seek to address the issue of milk safety, boosting production capacity as well as addressing value chain and market challenges.”
The KDB is jointly organizing the African Dairy Conference with the Eastern and Southern Africa Dairy Association (Esada) and various farmer associations, which will be held in Nairobi in early August.
