Kenya: Smallholder Dairy Commercialization Programme (SDCP)

SDCP's goal is to increase the incomes of poor rural households that depend substantially on the production and trade of dairy products for their livelihoods in Kenya. The project has provided significant support to the upstream stages of the milk sector by promoting improved production technologies, it has also crucially worked downstream to foster the development of the local milk marketing chain. Specifically, the project has invested over one third of its resources into improving the access of small-scale milk producers, traders and processors to local milk markets and the processing industry. Impacts include: -Supported 1,096 dairy groups with a membership of over 33,000 farmers. -259 dairy groups and 30 apex bodies were awarded grants worth K Sh 182,475,706 (US$1,737,864) to support their dairy enterprises, upon payment of a 10 per cent beneficiary contribution -The project is working towards the procurement and installation of 60 milk coolers with capacities between 2,000 and 6,000 litres, 10 pasteurizers with capacities between 2,000 and 3,000 litres, and 20 dispensers that also included small coolers. -SDCP has reduced milk losses by 26 per cent in the project area. -Based on current milk prices, the value of the amount of milk saved equates to an overall economic gain of K Sh 24.5 million (US$240,000) per year. -expected results include a 50 per cent increase in the quantity of milk delivered to the processing industry and a 20 per cent increase in the amount of value‑added milk marketed, which, as of March 2019, have been achieved at 86 and 95 per cent, respectively. -The improvement of milk marketing fostered by SDCP is expected to have a positive influence on the incomes, livelihoods and nutrition of 63,000 households. As of March 2019, the average income increased from K Sh 130/day (2009 baseline) to K Sh 720/day for 80 per cent of smallholder dairy farmers and 50 per cent of small traders targeted by the project. -SDCP is expected to contribute, alongside other players, towards a reduction in the incidence of child malnutrition, from 16.4 per cent (2009 baseline) to 11.4 per cent. Get in touch with IFAD project staff