NGPU January 24, 2025

Nakuru County hands over a 2000-liter milk cooler and a backup generator to Chemare Farmers Cooperative Society

Written by Mercy Kihugu

Nakuru County has handed over a 2000-liter milk cooler with a backup generator to Chemare Farmers Cooperative Society to help the farmers be able to aggregate the milk, assisting them greatly in milk preservation and ensuring the produce gets to the market in good condition, hence increasing their bargaining power.

The Cooperative has a total of 1300 members, including over 100 youths and two people with disabilities.

The Cooperatives’ Chairperson, Samson Mibei, said that the bulk milk cooler will ensure that more farmers bulk their milk with the Cooperative hence increasing income for not only the cooperative but also the farmers..

Mr. Mibei further said that the equipment would help to preserve and enhance the sale of quality milk and reduce losses.

Additionally, he said the Cooperative Society would be able to increase delivery of milk to over 60,000 liters of milk monthly to the Milk processing company, with the current daily deliveries ranging between 1800 liters.

The facility was distributed and will be installed where the farmers pledged their diligence in the operationalization and management of the facility.

Agriculture CECM Leonard Bor Said the decisive step to issue milk coolers is aimed at breathing new life into the dairy sector, enhancing the sale of quality milk, and reducing losses.

He noted the automatic backup generator for the milk cooling plant to the Cooperative Society would help solve electric power blackout challenges that result in milk spoilage and losses to farmers and also ensure the sustainability of the project.

Additionally, milk coolant plants will create employment for the youth while also increasing sources of income for the farmers in the area.

Cooperatives Chief Officer Kibet Kurgat reiterated the County Government’s commitment to bolstering the agricultural cooperative movement, which will, consequently, provide farmers with much-needed financial and technical support.

Environment and Climate Change Chief Officer Kennedy Mungai said that the County, under FLLoCa funding, will construct a 50 tonnes potato cooler worth Sh.12 million to help reduce post-harvest losses.

Area MCA Hon. Alex Bor appreciated the support noting move will go along way to empower the smallholder farmers in the ward.

The Cooperative members will be trained on proper operationalization of the cooler and generator in the subsequent days.