An acute milk shortage has hit Bomet Town and its environs, leaving consumers struggling to find the commodity. A spot check by The Standard across milk outlets established that most sellers have hiked milk prices from about Sh50 to Sh100 per litre. This drastic change has affected the daily lives of residents who rely heavily on milk as a staple in their diet. The shortage has also impacted businesses that use milk as a primary ingredient.
According to Beatrice Chepkirui, a milk vendor in Kapkwen, the commodity is in decline as farmers struggle with the high cost of dairy feed, coupled with prolonged dry weather. Chepkirui stated that they have been forced to cut down on the amount of milk they supply to clients due to the biting shortage. She mentioned that from January this year, they have been collecting over 1000 litres of fresh milk on a normal working day. However, the situation has taken a turn for the worse.
Chepkirui further explained that beginning in August this year, deliveries started dropping drastically. Today, they are only receiving less than 200 litres daily, which is far below the daily demand of their clients. This shortage has resulted in a significant increase in milk prices, affecting consumers and businesses alike. The price hike has also led to a decrease in the quantity of milk being sold.
The high cost of animal feed has forced many dairy farmers to abandon milk production, contributing to the current milk shortage. The problem has also been aggravated by a dry spell that has greatly affected the production of Napier grass and other animal fodder, which, in effect, has affected milk production for individual animals. Farmers are finding it challenging to maintain their livestock due to the unfavourable weather conditions.
Chepkirui warned that unless the weather improves during the anticipated El Niño rains this month, allowing pasture to regenerate and easing farmers' dependence on commercial dairy feeds, the future of the dairy sector is at stake. She expressed hope that the situation will stabilise by early January next year if the El Niño rains do come. The Kenya Dairy Board expects domestic supply to stabilise and recover with the arrival of the October–November–December short rains.
The shortage has also affected businesses, with a restaurant owner in Bomet town, Sherryl, stating that they have been forced to increase the price of tea sold to their customers because the milk is sold to them at a high price. Initially, a cup of tea cost Sh20; now it costs Sh30, an increase of Sh10. If the issue is not resolved soon, she'll be forced to stop selling milk tea until further notice.
Kenya's milk demand stands at 8 billion litres annually against a production of 5.76 billion litres, according to statistics from the Kenya Dairy Board. This year, milk production in the country fell by 3.7 per cent, from 844 million litres in June to 81.3 million litres in July, prompting the price of a 500-millilitre packet to rise by Sh15. The Board has attributed the decline to the prevailing cold and dry weather, coupled with the high cost of dairy feed.
Key points
- The milk shortage in Bomet is attributed to the high cost of dairy feed and prolonged dry weather.
- The shortage has resulted in a significant increase in milk prices, affecting consumers and businesses.
- The Kenya Dairy Board expects domestic supply to stabilise and recover with the arrival of the October–November–December short rains.
