A milk processing plant. Photo courtesy.

The county government of Bungoma has aside Sh140m in its budget to build a milk processing plant in the region, a plan which if fully implemented will see more than 30,000 small-scale farmers in Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties benefit from the multi-million-shilling agriculture project.

The project which aims at boosting milk production in the county will be set up in Webuye East Sub-County and would receive milk from dairy farmers from across the county.

“The county has set up a plan to launch a Sh140 million milk processing plant as part of improving income for dairy farmers in our county. We have identified a site in Webuye East where we plan to set it up,” said Mathews Makanda, County Executive for Agriculture.

He said the county government had already started to draft a policy that will help in advising how best to get proceeds from milk and the plant will be beneficial to farmers as it would process milk and come up with various dairy products that would be sold locally and others exported to other regions.

On the same the county has also written proposals to Danish Aid Agency Danida, and World Bank to help them set up the processing plant.

Makanda said that the dairy farmers would get training on how best to raise the production of milk from their dairy cows and the best practices to handle milk.

“We have approached several international organisations that would help us in setting and installing the milk processing plant and they will also be involved in training of farmers.”

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Just like their neighbouring county, Busia, the county would set up milk coolers in wards that would be used as collection points before transportation to the processing plant.

“The county had received three coolers and would be installed at Maeni, Mihuu and Kaptama wards. The wards would have the farmer groups form and register saccos that will manage the coolers, linked to the main plant and perform deliveries.”