The dream of setting up the first farmer owned Milk Processing Plant in Nandi is slowly becoming a reality with the construction of the first phase Nandi Cooperative Creameries NCC nearing completion in Mosop Sub-County.
The new state-of-the-art flagship project whose foundation stone was laid in April 2019, that will have capacity to process 100,000 litres of milk per day, is a dream project of Governor Sang’s administration.
The plant which is likely to be operational by June 2021 aims at empowering dairy farmers’ transition from primary production to value addition and agro processing so as to double their income and realize more profits.
Speaking on Tuesday while accompanying Chief Administrative Secretary for Livestock & Fisheries Hon. Linah Kilimo who was on a tour of dairy development projects in Nandi, CECM for Agriculture & Cooperative Development Dr. Kiplimo Araap Lagat said that his department is implementing projects and programmes aimed at boosting agricultural production, igniting value addition & improving lives of farmers.
This, he says, is in line with Governor Sang’s vision of transforming and uplifting the agriculture & livestock sectors in the county on modern lines.
On her part, the CAS commended Nandi County on the initiatives undertaken towards transforming the Agriculture sector which are in tandem with the President’s Big Four Agenda on Food Security. She lauded the county government’s effort to assist farmers improve on breeds of their dairy animals through the introduction of subsidized Artificial Insemination AI programme, in preparation for operationalizing NCC.
She said that her Livestock department will see to it that the capacity of Animal Health Assistants in Nandi who also double up as AI inseminators is built further to enable them improve on service delivery to the farmers.
“Regular refresher trainings and practice is key for successful AI thus the need to continually build the capacity of those who perform it if we wish to improve on our breeds and increase milk production,” she said.
In its first phase, Nandi Cooperative Creameries NCC will process Fresh milk, Long life milk, Yoghurt and Mala. The county will then deploy more equipment for Extended Life Shelf and Ultra Heat Treatment and processing ghee and butter in the second phase and subsequent phases.
At present, part of equipment for the first phase have been delivered in Kabiyet while the remaining are expected in site later this year.
Once complete, the facility targets to supply her milk to the Lake Region Economic Bloc LREB market which has a population estimated to over 14 million people. NCC will also be capable to process enough milk to supply pupils under the Early Childhood Development Education in Nandi County.
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