Dairy farmers in Kirinyaga County have received a major boost following Governor Anne Waiguru’s effort to expand milk cooling facilities to the grassroots.

The dairy farmer empowerment initiative is now reaching the smaller producer organizations thereby saving farmers from the hustle of transporting milk far from their farms.

Through provision of milk coolers, back-up power generators, cooperatives and producer organizations are now reporting higher milk volumes, reduced losses and a growing number of farmers joining the dairy sector.

Speaking during the distribution of the latest batch of coolers, Governor Waiguru said the interventions were part of the county government’s commitment to accelerating economic empowerment by investing in projects directly identified and prioritized by residents through public participation.

She noted that the coolers will help in reducing post-harvest loses, improve milk quality and enhance farmers’ earnings by enabling better storage and access to formal markets.

At New Ngariama Farmers’ Cooperative Society, the impact is already evident, with the number of farmers supplying milk rising from about 400 to more than 600, while daily milk collection has increased from 2,000 liters to more than 7,000 liters.

This growth follows the installation of a modern 10,000-litre milk cooler and a 100 KVA generator by the county government.

The cooperative Chairperson, Phineas Ngari, said the facilities had boosted both production and farmer confidence, while protecting milk from losses caused by inadequate storage and power interruptions.

“We were provided with a modern and efficient milk cooler that safely stores our farmers’ milk, and a generator which ensures that even during power outages, we do not experience losses,” Ngari said.

He said adding to its previous capacity, the cooperative can now store up to 12,500 liters of milk, enabling it to expand its operations and attract farmers from outside Ngariama. The expansion has also created employment, with the cooperative increasing its milk collectors from four to 10.

Ngari said the cooperative was targeting 1,500 farmers within the next two years, supported by continued technical assistance from the County Government’s Department of Agriculture. The new facilities have also improved the cooperative’s financial position, with Ngari noting that purchasing similar equipment independently would have cost more than Ksh16 million.

Individual farmers have also increased their production as the improved storage facility has created a reliable market for their milk.

Dairy farmer Munene Shem said his daily production had risen from about five liters to more than 40 liters.

“Before, I produced only about five liters of milk per day, but with these improvements, I now supply over 40 liters daily. This project has created employment and shown that dairy farming can be a sustainable source of income,” Shem said.

Farmer Anne Kabari said the improved dairy market had also changed her household income.

“Through the efforts of Governor Anne Waiguru, who provided us with this milk cooler, I have become a successful dairy farmer. I now deliver at least 30 liters daily and earn over Ksh40, 000 every month,” she said.

Kabari said the income had enabled her to comfortably meet household expenses, including rent and school fees for her child at the university.

At Kirinyaga Dairy Cooperative, Chairman Kennedy Ngigi said the intervention had similarly transformed operations after the cooperative struggled with inadequate storage capacity.

He said the cooperative previously relied on a 3,500-litre cooler, which was insufficient to serve its growing membership.

“We took our request to the Governor and she heard and responded. We were given a cooler with a capacity of 9,000 liters and a solar system. We were paying a bill of between Ksh80, 000 and Ksh100, 000, but now we pay slightly less than Ksh10, 000,” Ngigi said.

He added that the cooperative had increased its membership from about 1,000 farmers to nearly 2,000 since the cooler was installed.

Ngigi said the increased storage capacity had also reduced pressure on farmers, allowing milk to remain safely stored for three to five days before collection.

Farmer Anthony Muriuki, who produces about 22 liters of milk a day, said the cooler had renewed farmers’ confidence in dairy farming.

“We are now proud of being farmers. There is motivation to rear dairy cows and farmers are working towards adding more cows, hoping to produce over 35 liters of milk a day,” Muriuki said.

Another farmer, Anne Wairimu, said milk losses had significantly reduced since the installation of the cooler.

She noted that farmers previously experienced instances where large quantities of milk went bad, recalling a time when more than 1,000 liters were lost.

Wairimu said farmers could now deliver their milk with greater confidence because they were assured it would be safely stored until collection.

So far, 29 milk coolers have been distributed to various cooperatives and groups both by the county government and through collaboration with the national government increasing milk cooling capacity to over 70,000 liters.