By Erick Otieno
The fundamental principle of economics is that when demand exceeds supply, prices of goods and services go up – a situation that attracts enterprising investors to a particular sector. This theory applies to goat milk whose demand has continued to rise, fetching higher prices for farmers.
But unlike other sectors where high demand has seen increased interest from investors keen on tapping lucrative opportunities, dairy goat farming has failed to appeal to many as a viable agribusiness venture.
Nutritionists highly recommend goat milk due to its nutritious and medicinal value, which is good for the sick, infants, elderly and lactose intolerant people who lack enough of lactase enzyme needed to digest lactose – the main carbohydrate in milk.
Animal scientists attribute the medicinal value of the milk to the fact that the browsers are able to eat different parts of plants that have medicinal value unlike grazing cattle which depend primarily on grass.
But despite ready market for their milk, fast growth rates, hardy nature, ability to survive on a variety of forage, and little space required for rearing, dairy goats are still unpopular among farmers. Animal scientists attribute this largely to lack of sustainable breeding programmes and limited capacity for farmers to reap maximally from the sector.
Past initiatives by the Government and Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to attract farmers to the sector by ensuring availability of good breeds have not yielded any fruits. The Kenya Dual Purpose Goat (KDPG) breeding programme started in 1980 to contribute to increased goat milk and meat for smallholder farmers, which was terminated abruptly, was one of such initiatives. The main objective of the programme was to produce a synthetic breed that was able survive and produce high quality milk and meat within restrictive conditions.
However, there is a ray of light for farmers willing to take up dairy goat farming as an enterprise following the establishment of a dairy goat multiplication centre at Egerton University.
The breeding centre, which is part of the University’s Centre of Excellence for Livestock Breeding (CoELIB) is producing genetically improved bucks – a cross breed of exotic and local goats – which are supplied to farmers at a fee and later taken back after the mating process. The second phase of the project is Artificial Insemination (AI), which will be rolled out soon.
The head of the programme and animal science specialist, Dr. Tobias Okeno, says farmers venturing into dairy goat farming have a challenge with breeding as they are forced to import genetics to get breeds with good production potential.
“We came up with the multiplication centre after we realised there was increasing demand for dairy goat breeds, which have the potential of producing high quality and quantity milk. Through the centre, farmers are able to get genetic materials locally at affordable costs,” says Dr. Okeno.
Once the bucks have been produced at the centre, they are supplied to the farmers who breed them with their does for improved production.
More than 10 farmers from Western region, Nakuru, Limuru, have benefited from the project, which also offer them training on good animal production and management practices.
“From the field visits we have undertaken to the farms we supplied with the bucks we have realised that beneficiaries are able to use skills acquired to ensure biosecurity for their folks and good management evidenced in proper record keeping which has resulted into high milk production and increased incomes. More farmers are also developing interest in dairy goat farming as they want to emulate the success of their peers,” says Dr. Okeno.
Despite the good genetics which the centre avails to farmers, the project has experienced challenges related to lack of enough capital investment by farmers to implement better production strategies, and loss of bucks supplied to farmers due to improper handling that sometimes expose them to diseases.
The CoELIB decided to venture into Artificial Insemination (AI), which if fully implemented will help address challenges experienced with the supply of ducks as well as offer high quality genetics to farmers for improved production.
Through a partnership with Ohio State University, the centre received laboratory instruments for analysis and processing semen. Personnel at the centre have also benefitted from training and capacity building – a component of the partnership which involves extraction and evaluation of semen from bucks.
The first phase of the training was conducted in October and the second one which involves synchronising and packaging the genetics into straws for distribution to farmers will happen in March.
Although good genetics is a requisite for dairy goats farming, Dr. Okeno, avers that there is need to adopt contract marketing so that the farmer is assured of market in all seasons whether there is surplus or shortfall in production. This will motivate farmers to invest more and work hard as they are assured of returns.
He also proposes a central management system for dairy goats to eliminate challenges associated with smallholder systems.
“A central management system similar to the one in the matatu sector where we have savings and cooperative societies (saccos) and companies will ensure farmers invest in good breeds and cede management to qualified personnel who will maximize returns as a result of economies of scale,” says Dr. Okeno.
He also proposes a radical shift in policy: “To make Kenya a food secure country, we must set up a minimum threshold that every farmer must meet to be licenced to engage in any form of livestock production. Farming must be licenced like any business to make it more productive and profitable.”E
