Eldoret Dairy Farmers Import Heifers

This is in abid to improve the production of milk and dairy products.

The association consisting of over 50 large scale dairy farmers will partner with the Agricultural Finance Corporation in the project.

AFC chairman Patrick Osero and Managing Director Lucas Meso together with other officers visited various dairy farmers in Uasin Gishu County where farmers exhibited their dairy products.

AFC chairman said the project will boost dairy industry in the country and they will fully support it.

Eldoret Dairy Farmers Association chairman Nicholas Kositany said the association was formed in 2012 with the aim of adding value to the dairy industry.

Kositany said it would cost Ksh250, 000 to import one – four months pregnant heifer from South Africa to Eldoret International Airport.

He said they will import 125heifers during the first batch.

The pedigree animals will also be sold to small- scale farmers at an affordable price once breeding takes place.

The association said it preferred importation to artificial breeding since it will take little time to import compared to breeding that will take five years.

He said they are finalizing on licenses and other necessary documents for importation from the ministries involved.

AFC MD Lucas Meso said the issue of repaying loans that were issued out to farmers has been sorted.

The corporation has sensitized farmers on loans and will be issuing loans to various projects in the country.

Agricultural Finance Corporation has set aside Ksh 100 million to fund the dairy project.

By Angel Mboya