Uasin-Gishu County is naturally known to be the country's grain basket but a decision by a group of farmers to venture into dairy farming is turning around the region's economy.

The dairy farmers are reaping big profits from milk coolers installed in all the six sub-Counties by the county government to help preserve and enhance sale of quality milk and also reduce losses.

Tuiyo Cooperative Society in Kapseret constituency is one of the most successful in the region with a monthly milk delivery of more than 29,000 litres to Brookside Milk Company.

According to the society’s chairman Paul Kipkemboi, things changed after the launch of new milk handling technologies across the county in 2017 to boost preservation and bulking of milk thus boosting farmers’ profits.

"This has tremendously reduced milk hawking and stopped traders who used to adulterate milk with substances not suitable for human consumption," Mr Kipkemboi told AVDelta News on a tour of the milk cooling plant.

A spot-check established that Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii’s administration has set up more than 30 milk cooling plans across the county.

The cooperatives deliver between 900 to 1,000 litres per day to Brookside Company.

It also emerged that before the devolved unit donated the coolers to the farmers, cooperatives across the county lacked cooling facilities forcing them to sell their milk through informal channels compromising hygiene, and quality of the produce.

Milk spoilage during handling and transportation was also prevalent.  

Another cooperative which has reported tremendous success is New Progressive Farmers Cooperative Sacco where its chairman, Mr Philip Boit, says they have grown and have bought a lorry, a tractor, and built a fuel pump for its members.

The society has also ventured into Agrovet business following support given by the Uasin Gishu County government.

“We pay our members on the second day of every month and in December 2023 we gave them a bonus of Sh2 per kilo. Most of our farmers are smallholders and it became necessary to pool the milk and negotiate with Brookside Company for a long term programme on pricing," said Mr Boit.

Currently, Brookside Company pays Sh39 per litre of milk delivered, with the society paying Sh34 per litre to farmers who deliver themselves at the cooler and Sh35 for those whose milk is collected from their farms.

The Sh4 difference, Mr Boit explained, is used to run the office.  

Governor Bii has been encouraging farmers in the region to embrace other forms of agriculture as opposed to overreliance on maize farming.

The devolved unit seeks to ensure farmers not only plant traditional maize and wheat but also venture into dairy farming and high-value crops such as macademia, avocado, banana, and coffee.

According to Governor Bii, if farmers in the region embrace the diversification agenda, within the next three(3) years, families will have improved livelihoods due to better incomes.

“We've already secured sufficient markets for these products. As a county, we are focusing on the need not to depend on one source. We should explore other avenues to improve our people’s livelihoods and we know there are some crops that can help us achieve this,” said Governor Bii.

“We want after three(3) years, every family should start earning millions that will enable them to sustain themselves in health, education among others,” said the county boss.

The devolved unit has facilitated planting of over 2,000 hectares of avocado in an ambitious initiative where farmers are supplied with free seedlings in a programme centered on diversification for economic empowerment.