This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
Kenya's dairy sector is in a state of crisis, with a milk glut threatening to deal a significant blow to farm gate prices.
According to Trade Secretary Peter Munya, the government plans to send a fact-finding delegation to Kampala to establish whether the imports are indeed from Uganda.
However, the issue at hand is not just about the imports, but also about the lack of market for Kenyan farmers' highly perishable produce. Between January and September, Kenya imported a staggering 110.7 million litres of milk from the East African Community.
The agricultural sector has borne the brunt of poor policies, especially after the collapse of the sugar and textile industries. The dairy sector has not fully recovered after the revival of the Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC), creating the New KCC, which has announced price cuts.
Unfortunately, this is not good news for farmers, as farm gate prices have dropped from an average of Sh37 in January to Sh19 per litre – nearly a 50 percent decline. It's time Kenya puts its act together and reins in the shadowy forces responsible for the mess in the vital sector.
The solution to the milk glut is not rocket science, and it's imperative that the government takes immediate action to address the crisis and support Kenyan farmers.
