President William Ruto's administration has injected Sh1 billion towards boosting the revival progress of the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC).

Cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has announced that the allocation will be channeled towards ensuring that dairy farmers earn more money for their produce.

Speaking to AVDelta News while engaging farmers at Kiganjo New KCC in Nyeri, Mr Oparanya said the government is keen in ensuring that the funds will help the company become profitable.

"We are ready to turn New KCC into a profitable cooperation. Since the regime of President Uhuru Kenyatta to date, the government has allocated Sh4 billion for revival of the New KCC. We are placing additional Sh1 billion towards the same course," Mr Oparanya said.

The CS was accompanied by Cooperatives Principal Secretary Patrick Kilemi, Commissioner for Cooperatives David Obonyo, New KCC board chairman Maina Kamiru among other top dignitaries from the Ministry.

"I recently directed New KCC managers that the Sh50 price meant as payment to our farmers per their liter of milk produce should be the minimum payment rate," Mr Oparanya said.

"We should compete with the private dairy factories in terms of payment prices so as to ensure that our farmers earn more money for their produce. This is business. Milk is not like coffee where farmers have to wait for one year to get their incomes. I am simply saying that our dairy farmers should be paid on time," he added.

He appealed to the farmers to unite under cooperative societies so that they tap more from what the government is offering them under his Ministry.

The CS further appealed to youths in the country to embrace best farming practices by venturing into dairy farming.

Principal Secretary Patrick Kilemi said the government is keen in exploring the Asian market through milk powder products.

"As a government, we want to access the Asian market and become competitive globally. The way we are currently structured as New KCC, we can explore the market fully by exporting our milk powder products," said Mr Kilemi.

"We need to fully revive our New KCC factories countrywide. It is not only about the machinery we have installed in our New KCC factories countrywide, but the type of products we offer to the wide competitive market," he added.