Sh452m project to boost Githunguri dairy farmers' profitability

Extension officers from Githunguri Dairy Farmers Co-operative Society in Kiambu being shown how to operate e-bikes on December 8, 2025/ ALICE WAITHERA

Githunguri Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society has engaged 35 new extension officers to raise its production.

The co-operative, known for its Fresha dairy products, has also launched a fleet of 19 electric motorcycles to be used by extension officers who have also been provided with laptops.

This, according to chairperson John Ndichu, is part of its efforts to modernise its operations and boost farmer profitability.

Under the Maziwa Faida initiative, the co-operative has partnered with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Tetra Pak and the Swedish Embassy in Kenya to enhance its operations.

"Over the years, we have received many requests from our farmers to support them with more extension services,” Ndichu said.

The two-year $3.5 million (Sh452 million) public-private development partnership project seeks to address challenges faced by small-holder dairy farmers such as low productivity, poor profitability and limited access to technical expertise.

The project will see a dairy academy established at Githunguri, which is expected to train farmers on proper livestock husbandry, provide courses in modern dairy farming techniques, animal health, farm management, recordkeeping and business skills.

Maziwa Faida project underscores sustainable farming practices aimed at enhancing farmers’ resilience against the effects of climate change.

With training, farmers will be empowered to produce high-quality milk that will reduce post-harvest losses and improve their profit margins.

The additional extension officers will reduce the farmer-extension officer ratio from 700:1 to a much more manageable 350:1.

Speaking at the handover event on December 8, Ndichu said the reduction will see each farmer visited by an extension officer at least once in three months, translating to about three visits per farmer annually.

"This is a major improvement for our co-operative. Our projection is that this initiative will raise our daily production by about 50,000 litres daily." 

Dairy cows feeding in a farm in Kandara, Murang'a/ALICE WAITHERA

Statistics indicate that the co-operative currently produces 250,000 litres of milk daily, with a forecast of reaching 350,000 litres per day by 2027. Last year, the farmers sold more 92 million litres of milk.

Ndichu said the motorcycles will improve the extension officers' mobility, allowing them to access farmers in a timely manner.

The shift to e-transport promises substantial financial benefits for the cooperative and is expected to reduce the co-operative’s operational costs by almost half.

"There's no fuel need, just charging and God is gracious enough to give us enough sunlight to charge the electric bikes using our solar systems,” Ndichu said.

Michael Vandenberghe, project manager for the Dairy Development for Greater Middle Eastern Africa project under Tetra Pak, emphasised the project's impact on farmer profitability.

"This sponsorship is going to make a huge difference to farmers’ profitability because the officers can move around and assist farmers in doing better feeds rations formulation and give general farming advice,” he said.

Vandenberghe said the initial funding from the Swedish Embassy, under the Pathways to Profitable Dairy project, will run until the end of 2026, with proposals being developed for a further extension.

Maina Karuiru, UNIDO national project coordinator, highlighted the sustainability aspect, saying by equipping extension officers with clean and efficient transport solutions, they have been facilitated to reach more farmers, improving livelihoods and strengthening the dairy ecosystem.

Farmers however raised concerns over decreasing quality and rising costs of livestock feeds in the market.

Ndichu said with 80 per cent of raw materials imported, costs have continued to soar against erratic weather patterns and rising drought.

"A bag of dairy mill is currently going for about Sh3,200 which is very high for a farmer," he said.

Ndichu urged the government to review taxes and implement policies that are farmer-friendly support sustained productivity.