The Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said the government is keen to institute reforms in the dairy industry.
The DP made the remarks yesterday evening when he toured the New KCC Milk Factory in Dandora, Nairobi as the government rolls out reforms in the subsector.
He noted that the Kenya Kwanza administration has been keen on revitalizing the Agriculture sector in the country. The sector highly contributes to the country’s GDP directly and indirectly.
He added that the government is keen on improving the sector’s contribution to the country’s economy and is rolling out reforms in the milk, tea and coffee sectors among others.
“Our target is to make New KCC the market leader because it will ensure stability in the sub-sector once it regains its top spot. The reforms in the dairy industry will see the farmers get better returns that are commensurate with the efforts invested in the farms. In my engagement with the residents of Dandora, I assured them of our focus to improve the lives of all Kenyans through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.” The DP noted.
Gachagua asserted that he is working tirelessly to rid cartels in the Agriculture sector to enable it reach its full potential.
“The farmers in the country will be the biggest beneficiaries of the reforms being rolled out as the government is keen on ending exploitation of the farmers.” The DP observed.
He urged the stakeholders to embrace technology saying modernization of Agricultural businesses will highly boost the sector.
In the recent years, the country witnessed severe drought which has led to loss of livelihoods for the farmers.
The DP said modernisation will also come in handy in cushioning farmers about climate change.
He has also called on the stakeholders to diversify the range of their products even as the government continues exploring innovative ways of value addition as well as locating international markets to even further boost the sector.
The deputy president put cartels in the milk sector and the agricultural sector in general on alert saying the government will wipe out brokers that have hindered the growth of the Agricultural sector.
The DP is expected to visit Kericho county for the tea conference after a successful coffee forum which took place early this month. The conference will provide a platform for tea farmers from all tea growing counties to engage with the leadership as well as stakeholders in the sector to discuss reforms in the sector
