Kenya Launches Strategic Plan to Boost Dairy Exports

Jonathan Mueke, principal secretary in the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, told journalists in Nairobi, the country's capital, that the plan outlines strategies to increase revenues from dairy product exports from the estimated 5 billion shillings (about 39 million U.S. dollars) recorded in 2023.

"We want to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area to penetrate countries such as Zimbabwe as well as West African nations that are net importers of dairy products," Mueke said.

Data from the ministry indicate that Kenya produced 5.2 billion liters of milk in 2023 and targets to increase the figure to 10 billion liters by 2030. Mueke noted that the strategy promotes investments in dairy export processing zones to increase exports by 200 million liters annually.

Margaret Kibogy, the managing director of the state-owned Kenya Dairy Board, said the blueprint provides a framework for how the country's dairy farmers can increase output through improved animal husbandry practices.

Kibogy added that the strategy provides procedures for the capacity building of farmers to improve their safety procedures, enabling Kenyan products to meet the sanitary requirements of overseas markets.

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