Thousands of dairy farmers have earned a combined Sh255 million as an incentive for sustaining milk quality and  supply targets over the past six months.

The payout, made by dairy processor Brookside, covers the period between December 1, 2025 and May 30, 2026 and comes as extra payment for regular milk deliveries as the industry pushes for quality.

Brookside said the beneficiaries include individual farmers, dairy cooperatives and milk collection groups that met agreed standards on both milk quality and volumes.

Brookside’s General Manager for milk procurement Emmanuel Kabaki, said the reward, in its seventh year now, encourages farmers to invest in better feed and on-farm sanitation, to drive higher profitability through fewer milk rejections.

 “Our reward scheme works towards a safer, more competitive dairy sector for the region, while ensuring that our consumers continue to get high quality, more nutritious dairy products. We are also positioning our supply groups, such as dairy co-operatives, for increased operational efficiency and better yields from raw milk sales to us,” Kabaki said in a statement.

The reward scheme reflects an emerging trend in the dairy sector where processors are increasingly linking farmer earnings to quality indicators such as protein and butterfat content, rather than relying solely on the quantity of milk delivered.

Rewarding quality helps reduce milk rejection rates, improves farm profitability and strengthens the competitiveness of Kenyan dairy products in local and export markets.

Brookside said the incentive programme, is designed to encourage farmers to adopt better feeding practices, improve animal health and maintain higher standards of hygiene during milk production and handling.

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The latest payout comes as dairy farmers prepare for the dry season, a period often characterised by lower milk production due to reduced pasture availability and rising feed costs.

Kenya's dairy sector has increasingly focused on improving milk quality amid growing demand for processed dairy products and stricter quality requirements from processors.

To support this transition, processors and industry stakeholders have expanded farmer training programmes on animal husbandry, milk handling and feed management.