Youth have been encouraged to fully embrace livestock farming owing to it improved economic benefits with dairy farmers capable of affording executive commodities unlike in the traditional days.
Meru Dairy Union Chairman Simon Kiruja said traditionally livestock farming was associated with old men due to the limited economical gains the farmers got.
Speaking at Gitooro showground in Meru town during an inspection tour of the facility where President Wiliam Ruto is expected to preside over the 11th Annual Dairy Farmers Field Day this Saturday, Kiruja insisted that milk farmers are now leading in finance and dressing code trend with many wearing executive suits,shoes and tie.
“I challenge the youth to fully embrace livestock farming owing to it improved economic benefits. Cattle farming was traditionally associated with the old folk. The dairy sector has of late transformed drastically with livestock farmers capable of affording executive suits and other basic commodities,” said the chairman.
Kiruja regretted that traditionally livestock farming was associated with old folks and urged the youth to embrace the new trend.
He said the demand for milk has gone up with the union supplying more milk locally and abroad owing to a ready market in foreign market.
He called on farmers to ensure they work hard by keeping more livestock in a bid to improve their living standards.
The official also encouraged farmers to produce about 50 litres of milk per cow per day as opposed to the traditional 10 litres since it is more profitable.
“Producing the traditional 10 litres of milk per cow per day is not helpful to the farmer at all. I encourage all the farmers to work hard, keep more livestock and ensure they produce about 50 litres of milk per day per cow since it is more profitable and helpful. We need to set new standards by delivering to the union more milk on a daily basis. Our factory need more milk locally and abroad owing to the market expansion,” said the chairman.
Kiruja said milk production by farmers in the union is expected to hit the 1 million litres mark per day by the end of this December compared to the 670, 000 litres of milk recorded the previous day.
Expressing similar sentiments Kiruja and the Union Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kenneth Gitonga both concurred that when the facility was established, they produced between 10,000 litres to 20,000 litres of milk per day before it settled at 650,000 litres per day recently.
