Kenyatta Family's Brookside Pays Rift Valley Farmers KSh 1.9b for Milk Deliveries

• Farmers in Narok county topped the list of Brookside earnings as they took home KSh 1 billion in the last year
• Those in the Nakuru region took home KSh 854 million, up from KSh 794 million, while farmers in Kericho and Bomet counties received a combined KSh 69 million
• Brookside reaffirmed its commitment to turning the dairy business into a reliable source of revenue for households

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto brings over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering profound insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Brookside Dairy, a milk processor associated with the Kenyatta family, paid KSh 1.9 billion to farmers in the Central and South Rift Valley region for deliveries in 2024.

How farmers in counties earned millions

The payout, a 29% increase above 2023 earnings, was attributed to improved husbandry techniques and favourable weather.

Narok county was at the front of the pack, with farmers earning KSh 1 billion from the sale of raw milk to the processor, up from KSh 680 million in 2023.

Daily Nation reported that those in the Nakuru region took home KSh 854 million, up from KSh 794 million, while farmers in Kericho and Bomet counties received a combined KSh 69 million, a rise of 9% compared to their 2023 income.

What Brookside said

Brookside's general manager of milk procurement, Emmanuel Kabaki, stated that the company is dedicated to enhancing relationships with all of its farmers.

He said this would be done by investing in climate-resilient methods and sustainable projects that provide the best possible milk production throughout the year.

"We pledge to keep offering farmers a secure market for their milk and to pay them on schedule. This allows the dairy subsector to fulfil its vital function of driving rural economies," Business Daily quoted Kabaki.

The Brookside official said the processor was dedicated to turning the dairy business into a reliable source of revenue for households.

He assured farmers that they would continue to procure 1005 of all contract volumes, guaranteeing a reliable market for their milk.

"As part of our larger quality control systems at the upstream stage of the value chain, we keep investing in cold chain infrastructure throughout important milk sheds to guarantee that our farmers have access to milk cooling facilities nearby. To propagate and distribute Super Napier grass to farmers, we have set up fodder resource centres around the nation," he explained.

Additionally, he stated that Brookside was collaborating with farmers to enhance the genetics of dairy cows and had given liquid nitrogen and straws to medium-sized farms and partner groups for artificial insemination.

What KCC is paying

Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported that the New Kenya Co-operative Creameries (New KCC) raised farm-gate milk prices by KSh 5 per litre.

This followed President William Ruto's directive to increase earnings for farmers across the country.

According to Ruto, his government will invest in value addition and facilitate training to increase the New KCC's efficiency.

The president Ruto revealed farmers will access affordable credit and subsidised fertilisers at a cost of KSh 2,500 for a 50kg bag.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke