This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
Raw milk prices have plummeted in Nyandarua County, leaving dairy farmers struggling to make ends meet. According to reports, leading milk processors are currently buying raw milk for Sh17 a litre, down from Sh30 two months ago.
Joseph Gitau, a dairy farmer from Milangine village, expressed his frustration, saying that the move to liberalise the market had made it impossible for them to sell their milk at a better price. He claimed that feeding his family was now a struggle, and he didn't know how he would pay school fees for his children beginning January.
Gitau was a prominent dairy farmer in the region prior to the price slump, but two months ago, things changed for the worst after milk processors slashed the price of raw milk by almost Sh20. The processors dropped the price to Sh17 a litre, leaving farmers incurring heavy losses.
James Njuguna, a director of Nyala Dairy Cooperative Society, attributed the price drop to a milk glut in the region, stating that there was a lot of milk in the region and yet they had no place to sell their produce. He claimed that reducing the buying price was their last option.
Local leaders, led by Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau, have now called for the government's intervention, blaming middlemen for exploiting farmers. She stated that milk was one of Nyandarua's backbones and that the government must come in and rescue the farmers.
Deputy President William Ruto had previously promised that the national government would deliver 35 milk coolers to be distributed to the five-sub counties, but it remains unclear if these coolers have been delivered.
