Dairy farming is the fastest growing agricultural sub sectors which generates good economic returns and also creates employment. A good number of people are employed by the dairy companies that exist in our country, and the industry will continue to create more job opportunities due to its expanding nature.
To the dairy farmers, it is a good business that leaves smiles on their faces. This is because, the contracted milk processors buy a liter of milk from them at a price of 40shs, which they later sell at a price of 60shs. This puts the processors at a high advantage because despite selling the milk at a much higher price, they also make high added value products such as cheese and butter.
This could make the farmers selling their milk to processors not make as much profits as those selling their milk directly to traders and consumers.
Problems faced by dairy farmers
Despite the dairy industry growing fast, it is faced with a lot of problems which include;
- Expensive feeds and supplements – due to the high cost of producing commercial feeds, it is quite expensive for any dairy farmer to largely depend on the same. Regular fresh fodder is also an issue depending on which parts of the country you’re in.
- Unpredictable weather patterns– this mean less fresh feeds and unforeseen shortages. Due to deforestation and poor farming practices, it requires proper planning for emergencies and contigent measures.
- Poor storage facilities – most farmers are not equipped with proper storage facilities thus some milk usually goes to waste on production. This happens a lot during the rains when milk production’s at its peak. We have witnessed this in parts of Central Kenya and other high potential areas.
- Poor infrastructure – this relates to roads meant to access dairy farms. Though the Government has been trumpeting its achievements on roads maintenance and development, most of the high yielding areas are still under-served by proper roads -either graded or otherwise.
- Delayed payment – this irks many a farmer that upon delivery, payments are usually delayed. This is the reason behind most farmers opting to hawk their milk. Major milk processing companies are the main culprits though this is also dependent on how aggressive your co-operative, self-help group or local delivery centre is on getting it done.
- Disease and quarantine – due to changing weather patterns, the incidence of disease is quite high now and depending on how soon you’re able to diagnose this, it can mean the end of your beloved stock of cattle.
- Diminished veterinary services– this means that securing a vet’s service can be quite expensive unlike past practices where Government officials did rounds in the farms. This also applies to A.I services which have also become quite pricey.
World Animal protection’s role in educating dairy farmers
World Animal Protection has been playing a key role in helping farmers understand what animal welfare entails and how they can ensure their animals are happy.
For instance , during the Eastern and Southern Africa Dairy Association conference held at KICC, from 22nd August to 24th August, they educated farmers present on good animal welfare, which contributes greatly to the productivity of a particular animal.
Most of the farmers were curious to know how good animal welfare practices affect the daily lives of their flock. At the end of the exhibition, they went home full of knowledge.
For similar works, visit www.worldanimalprotection.org
