Kenya opens ultramodern factory to boost milk supplies

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday opened an ultramodern milk factory in Eldoret northwest region.

The New KCC Ultramodern UHT Production Unit, revived at a cost of 5 million U.S. dollars, will also ensure there is a constant supply of milk in the country through diversification of products.

The opening of the new factory comes amid fears the country’s milk production is set to decline in 2017 due to drought conditions in the country.

Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) Managing Director Margaret Kibogy said last week that Kenya farmers produced 5.2 billion liters of milk in 2016.

“For the first six months of 2017, milk production has declined by approximately 50 percent as compared to a similar period last year. As a result our milk production this year will be less than that of 2016,” Kibogy said.

In order to plug the production deficit, Kenya has approved the importation of 9,000 metric tons of duty free milk powder to help increase the supply of raw milk.

Kibogy noted that Kenya also receives an average of one million liters of milk products per month mostly from the other East African Community member states. Enditem

Source: Xinhua/NewsGhana.com.gh

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