Dairy farmers in the North Rift and South Rift regions are lamenting delayed payments for raw milk deliveries to the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries.

The farmers are demanding more than Ksh.300 million as pending payments for the last four months. They have threatened to diversify into other forms of agriculture to address their financial constraints.

Mama Julian Wandera is one of the large-scale dairy farmers in Trans Nzoia County. A few months ago, it was a beehive of activities at her dairy farm in Arubai, which was full of livestock producing up to 250 litres of milk per day.

Today, however, she has had to cut down due to delays in payment for her supplies to the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries.

“For the last four months I have not been paid, so I decided to look for other channels so that I can be able to feed the animals and pay the workers. Of late I have been forced to release some workers and I have remained with only one worker because of payment,” said Wandera.

The delay has paralysed farming activities for many farmers in this region and made the cost of feed for their livestock unbearable.

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“I feed on silage, and silage I plant on my own farm. Cutting silage alone per acre is 23,000 shillings. I have prepared 21 acres so the minimum I have used for silage alone is almost 500,000 shillings,” said Wandera.

“Ng’ombe hawatoi maziwa ya kutosha saizi kwa sababu hawapati malisho kuingana na vile inahitajika,” said a second farmer.

Many have endured untold suffering as they demand arrears amounting to more than 300 million shillings, with some opting to sell their milk to private buyers.

“Shule sasa January ndio hii iko. Tumesindwa watoto watarudi shule namna gani. Pia tuko na loans kwa sacco na hizi ng’ombe ndio zinatusimamia. Sasa tumefika mahali wale ma auctioneers wanataka kunadi ng’ombe zetu kwa sababu hatujalipa madeni,” said the second farmer.

Their plight is seemingly a sharp contrast to remarks by President William Ruto, who during his State of the Nation address on Thursday, commended the gains achieved through reforms in the sector.

“In dairy, milk production has surged to 5.3 billion litres while exports have nearly doubled to 9.4 billion. Dairy farmers’ support has been enhanced with the installation of over 230 milk production coolers,” said President Ruto.

The progress, however, is under threat with a section of dairy farmers seeking to diversify to other forms of agriculture.

“Serikali imetusaidia mashinani ambapo Koitogos pekee yake capacity yetu ni karibu lita 10,000. Tukifunga macooler hizo si itakuwa hasara kwa serikali?” said Mary Rono.

“Mahindi ndio watu wamelima wameweka kwa sababu bei iko chini. Sasa maziwa ndio tulikuwa tunafikiria ndio kitu inaweza lipa mkulima wa chini. Sasa tumeona tena huko nako kumefungwa. Sasa KCC isipolipa wakulima, wakulima watenda wapi?” said another farmer.

Dairy farmers have already started to look elsewhere for opportunities to earn a living. At his farm in Kabianga, Kericho County, John Lelei, a dairy farmer, showed us his new venture, a chicken project and a vegetable farm he established after constant disappointments by the New KCC.

“Maisha imekuwa ngumu, so naweka vitu kama dhania ambayo inachukua 40 days na nauza Kisumu, Sondu, beetroot, butternut. Hiyo ndio inatusaidia saizi hata tulipe madeni zingine tuko nazo,” said Lelei.

The farmers have warned that milk production is set to drop as a result of the financial constraints they are facing.

“Tunaomba rain atusaidie tucheque haswa shida ni gani. Hata waziri Oparanya anayesimamia mashirika atuambie shida ni gani,” said the second farmer.

“Maombi yetu ni kwanza tukuwe tunapata pesa yetu latest tarehe tano,” said Wandera.

In the meantime, the farmers have welcomed the ban on the importation of milk powder by the government, saying that it leveled the playing ground for local farmers.

“Tukitaka kuuza maziwa yetu ikiwa fresh hatuwezi kuuza juu prices imeenda chini juu ya border milk, so market stability inakuwa compromised,” said Moses Rotich, a dairy farmer from Kabianga.

Our efforts to reach the management of the New KCC for a response to the issues raised by the dairy farmers were futile, and they are yet to respond to our inquiries.