Successful Dairy Farming In Kenya | What It Takes To Succeed

Get the facts on what it takes to be do successful dairy farming in Kenya. Having the right knowledge can help you progress faster to achieving the ultimate success in dairy farming.

Dairy farming in Kenya is one of the most farming practices practiced in urban areas and Kenya’s rural areas. Most urban farming has embraced modern technology in dairy farming practices which have resulted in success.

What It Takes Do Successful Dairy Farming

How can I succeed in dairy farming in Kenya?

1. Good Market Research

Just like any other business, you need to understand your market first before even starting a dairy farm. Analyze the suitability of the environment for rearing the cows, where to get best breeds, demand for your milk, purchasing power of people, and where you will sell your product among others.

2. Have A Business Plan

A popular saying is failure to plan is planning to fail also applies in dairy farming in Kenya. Your plan should be holistic to include but not limited to financial, operation, sales, marketing, and labor management.

3. Interact With Expert

Do not behave as if you are an island, go out there and interact with expert. It can be face to face and even through online interaction. You do not just need to interact with local farmers but also find out how other countries are doing the business. Sound expert knowledge will definitely contribute to your success.

4. Choose The Best Dairy Breed

There are many dairy breeds in Kenya. However, you do not just go to a market and purchase one simply because it looks the best. You must be sure that the breed is suitable to thrive in your location, you have the power to manage it, and the breed can meet your expectations in terms of production.

5. Effective Management

You need to know how to manage the cows health, environmental hygiene, appropriate feeds, waste, breeding and many more. Thus, look into outsourcing the needed expertise including veterinary service and extra labor you may need.

3 Tips To Become Successful Dairy Farmer

1. Attend Dairy Training

You need to have sufficient knowledge about dairy farming in Kenya through expert training. Besides, you get to know the skills for better management of your farm for maximum production. Also, you connect with like-minded people with common objective.

2. Record Keeping

Ensure you document everything about your farming including your dairy farm expenditures, running cost, vet services, labor cost, and many more. Detailed record can make you work on the weak areas and maximize your strengths for better growth and success.

3. Invest In Technology

Technology will not only help you increase production but would make your work as a dairy farmer easier. Some of key technologies you can consider include use of automatic milking systems, milk analyzer, embryo transfer technology, and sensor technology among others.

Modern Dairy Farming In Kenya

Modern dairy farming is often practiced in the large scale dairy farming. The farming practice has replaced traditional milk production methods, processing, and preservation, among other forms. Modern dairy farming in Kenya has simplified the lengthy procedures done by humans to the use of automatic machines.

10 Benefits Of Modern Dairy Farming

Some of the advantages of the modern dairy farming system:

1. The use of improved cattle feeds led to increased milk production

2. Proper health guideline in milk handling has reduced the cases on poisonous milk in the market.

3. Better methods in milk processing milk have improved the shelf life.

4. The introduction of robotic milkers has reduced workmanship and helped with disease control due to reduced contact between the workers and the animals

5. The electronic milkers help the farmers minimize milk wastage and spoilage since they have a perfect cooling system.

6. An alternative way of breeding Artificial reproduction has helped with accuracy and has improved the safety of farmers from aggressive bulls.

7. The IoT applied in smart farms helps capture valuable data concerning the cow’s timely needs, allowing the farmer to attend to every animal’s need to improve quality and quantity milk production.

8. Excess milk has been used to make several milk products growing the country’s economic status.

9. New improvised breeds have led to high milk production in the dairy farming industry.

10. Modern time vaccination techniques have led to improved health of dairy cows.

Small Scale Dairy Farming In Kenya

The system production has overtaken the country, with 3 quarters of dairy farming being small-scale farmers. Most dairy farmers in Kenya have proved successful management of the small-scale dairy farming business.

Small-scale dairy farming in Kenya guarantees the market with 85% dairy milk production. Most of the small-scale farmers have their market tagged the local consumers. The farmers incur less or no marketing costs compared to the large-scale farming system.

Successful Dairy Farmers In Kenya

We have heard stories of successful dairy farmers in the country from different communities. Some of them started barely from scratch with local breeds, while others inherited one or two items from their parents. The farmers narrate their stories, highlighting some of the challenges and how they overcame them.

Young visionary farmers are encouraged to have a good investment plan, a good management system, a good savings plan, passion for the growth of the business, and patience.

Examples of successful farmers

1. Richard Mibei

Mibei is a successful dairy farmer located in Bomet county. He ventured into farming in 1982, immediately after his high school education with two Zebu milking cows.

He has been improving his farming practices over time, including his cattle breeds. He owns over 40 improved breeds of cattle and enjoys quantity returns from the produce.

2. Mary Wambui

A successful dairy farmer, now owning the Mung’ere farm located in Lari, Kiambu county. She started with 5 heifers and now trades with 100 cows, each produces not less than 45 liters per day.

All the cattle are zero grazed and attended to by around 22 workers. Wamboi has gradually grown to her success caters to her family needs without strain.

3. Njoroge and Susan Muturi

The couple resides in Ruiru, Kiambu county, now owning Tassels Dairy Farm. The couple claimed that they had the same interest in farming and merged to do the business together. They started with local breeds and advanced to using modern techniques that increased their yield per day.

The Muturi’s have grown from dairy hawkers to well-established dairy farmers, owning over 400 cows and planning to plant a multimillion dairy farm with a modern state of the art.

4. Willy Kirwa

A successful young farmer located in Kapsabet, Uasin Gichu county. Kirwa owns the Willens Dairy farm, which has now grown to accommodate a capacity of more than 40 cows.

The cows have grown to a capacity of the daily production of large amounts of milk. Willens has grown into a strategy to expand the business to over 100cows to reach a broader market.

Benefit of Successful Dairy Production To Farmers

Farmers stand at a platform of growth their financial strength
Farmers enjoy milk and milk products
Farmers profit from selling farm manure, adding to their daily income.

Successful Dairy Farms In Kenya

The following is a list of dairy farms in Kenya that engage in large scale farming.

Dairy farms	Contacts	Physical address
Tia dairy farm	0700 244802	Githunguri
Kawamu Dairy	0721 346395	W. View Estate Rd
Kefa Gardens	0722 280814	Kenol, Wakanya Road
Kcc Dandora	0721 738541	Nairobi
Browns Cheese	0728 999654	Kiambu tigoni
Cowsoko	0796 567477	Nairobi
Farmers Trend	0790 509684	Jainsala Street, Nairobi
Dairy Pesa	0714 056000	Kilimani argwings Kodhek Rd Chaka Place, Nairobi, North
Ruai Tharuyu Farm	0722 764878	Beverly hill lane, Nairobi
Tassells Cattle Farms	0722 809603	Eastern Bypass
Caanfarm Dairies Kenya Ltd	0722 575096	Githurai
Tassells Dairy Farm	0798 541186	Eastern Bypass, Ruiru

List Of Dairy Farms In Kenya

Conclusion

Successful dairy farming in Kenya has been proved to be one of the fast-growing businesses for farmers. Small-scale dairy farming in Kenya has overtaken the industry with the most milk supply in the market. However, modern dairy farming in Kenya has been seen to transform most small-scale farming.

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