The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has banned the importation of milk powder from neighbouring countries.
While speaking in Naivasha, the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe, said the decision follows a surge in local milk production, making Kenya the second-largest producer in Africa after Egypt.
He also noted that the move will protect local dairy farmers from unfair competition, boost their earnings, and enhance domestic production, with the national milk demand standing at eight billion litres annually.
CS Kagwe Bans Importation of Milk Powder, Stops Hawking of Milk
Kagwe warned traders against illegal imports and banned the street hawking of milk due to health concerns.
“We want to warn those illegal importers of milk powder into the country that we have noticed what they are doing and would like them to stop. Everything that is consumed by a human being must be vetted and verified,” he said.
“That is why we also stopped the concept of hawking milk, because we started getting problems. Mothers started complaining about children getting diarrhoea, and people started getting sick because we did not know the source.”
CS Kagwe noted that the milk industry needs to be properly regulated, and that the relevant regulations have already been published, inviting stakeholders to engage in the process.
Milk powder, also known as dried milk, is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating fresh milk to a dry state.
The powder can be used in baking, cooking, and as an ingredient in various products, including infant formula.
To tackle the high cost of production, Kagwe noted that the government is enhancing local production of livestock feeds that meet both protein and energy requirements.
He added that plans are underway to waive taxes on animal feeds to further reduce production costs for farmers as the demand for milk products continues to rise.
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Govt Steps up Fight Against Aflatoxin in Dairy Feeds
Meanwhile, the ministry has unveiled a Good Quality Milk Certification Program, which will pay premiums to farmers supplying safe milk and penalize those delivering substandard produce.
The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) has developed strains, such as Aflasafe KE01, a biological product that reduces contamination in maize before it enters the feed chain.
Kagwe urged farmers and feed manufacturers to adopt such innovations to ensure milk safety and safeguard exports.
“No dairy export without quality. Aflatoxin in maize feed passes straight into milk and locks us out of lucrative markets. If we are serious about doubling production and exporting, we must fix feed quality first,” Kagwe said.
“Use aflatoxin-free maize. Adopt Aflasafe. This is the only way to guarantee the best milk for Kenyans and protect our place in global markets.”
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This is not the first time a ban has been imposed. In 2023, the government temporarily lifted a previously imposed ban on milk importation to ensure the proper implementation of the Dairy Industry (Import and Export) Regulations, 2021.
Earlier that year, in March, the Kenya Dairy Board had declared an open-ended halt on milk powder imports.
The move aimed to protect processors and farmers from reduced prices that could result from an oversupply in the market, following an anticipated increase in local milk production.
Consequently, the need for imports was expected to decline.
However, barely two weeks later, on March 14, 2023, former Agriculture Permanent Secretary Harry Kimtai announced that the ban on product imports had been lifted.
“Take note that the importation of products under the East African Community (EAC) protocol refers to goods being imported from outside the East African Community, while goods traded within the EAC are referred to as transfers,” Kimtai stated.
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Largest producer n milk is very expensive wacha jokes