Self-help group shields its members from loss

As many dairy farmers count their losses arising from the milk glut, members of a group in Mukurwe-ini, Central Province, are all smiles.

The farmers formed a small self-help group two decades and registered their own dairy company. Mukurwe-ini Wakulima Dairy Ltd owns a cooling tank, which preserves milk as the management looks for markets.

As a result, the farmers do not have to pour out the highly perishable product. “We are still collecting milk from our members and we have not even reduced the prices since we have diversified our market to different processors,” said the general manager, Mr Dancan Muya.

The group loans money to farmers against their milk deliveries. All that one requires to do is deliver milk to the group and one qualifies to get money for school fees through credit. Even animal feeds or money to buy a dairy cow are advanced to members.

The company has an artificial insemination department which provides farmers with the latest exotic dairy cow breeds. Mr Michael Gitahi was a jua kali artisan in Nairobi before he discovered a gold mine in dairy farming.

The father of three from Gathukimundu village could barely support his family using the earnings from his jua kali (informal) activities. After saving Sh10,000 in six months, Mr Gitahi bought his first dairy cow and has never looked back.

Advance

“My average sales per month are Sh3,000. So I can get an advance of up to Sh1,500 and solve my financial problems,” Mr Gitahi said.

He plans to join Mukurwe-ini Wakulima Sacco next month after buying another cow so that he can be in a position to apply for bigger loans.

Like Mr Gitahi, Ms Grace Wairimu of Karundu village has no regrets about venturing into dairy farming and joining Mukurwe-ini Wakulima Dairy.

It is by selling milk through the group that Ms Wairimu managed to take her first-born child through secondary school. She said she hopes to pay for the education of her three other children through the same scheme.