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Rachuonyo farmers churn cash from milk

 

Sometime in 2014, fourteen farmers from Rachuonyo met to share ideas on how to make profit from their milk.

Before the meeting, the farmers would sell their produce at throwaway prices.

One of the ideas they came up with was to sell their milk collectively in Oyugis town.

A few months later, the venture had grown as more people joined the group. It competed with firms from other counties that sold packaged milk.

Later, the farmers registered their group as Kasbondo Aim Cooperative Society. Today, the society offers market for at least 950 members who deliver milk for processing.

Kennedy Odiwuor, an East Kamagak resident, is among the co-op members.

“Before registering as a member eight months ago, I would give away my excess milk,” he says.

According to Kasbondo Aim Co-op secretary, Bernard Otiende, the produce is processed into yoghurt and fermented milk – branded Mamarwa (it is ours) – and then sold.

Before that, Kasbondo Co-op sold raw milk raw. However, some customers raised issues with quality.

Otiende says poorly stored raw milk can lead to diseases.

“Some members added water to their milk while other milk had impurities,” he says.

That brought the idea of buying a plant to process the milk.

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Austine Mboya displays yoghurt that is produced by Kasbondo Aim Dairy Cooperative Society Limited at the firm's store in Oyugis town. 

The group then drafted a proposal that was sent to donors who funded the plant. It processes up to 500 litres of milk daily.

Kasbondo Aim Cooperative Society was supported by USAID and the International Livestock Research Institute under a programme called “Feed the Future”.

The two organisations also helped the group set up a modern bulk milk collection centre.

The aim of the programme was to accelerate value chain development for smallholder farmers.

Kasbondo Aim Co-op runs the plant in Rawinji village.

Don Okoth is in charge of milk processing. He has been a technician at the plant for eight months after being in a similar position at another company in central Kenya.

He receives the milk delivered by farmers in aluminium containers.

The milk then goes through organoleptic testing, involving assessment of flavour, cream, odour and appearance. He then conducts an alcohol test on the milk.

Okoth is also interested in the hygiene of those delivering the milk.

“A dirty person delivering the milk means the farm is also dirty. We can reject such milk,” he says.

“We use a lactometer to check on density and know if water was added to the milk. Anything above or below the recommended figures is rejected.”

The milk is then weighed and recorded.

Processing begins by separating the milk from solids. Okoth then pours the milk in a ballast tank. It is later shifted to a storage tank and chilled at four degrees celsius.

The milk is then pumped out in different quantities, depending on the end product.

For yoghurt, Okoth pre-heats milk to 38 degrees Celsius before taking it to a cream separator. Sugar and starch are added.

“The mixture is returned to the tank after filtering,” Okoth says.

He adds pectin and stirs the mixture. It is left to settle overnight.

Pasteurisation follows, with the mixture being heated at 85 degrees Celsius. It is left to cool for half an hour.

“We then add culture, which produces bacteria that ferment the lactose,” he says.

By morning, the mixture is thick and is broken by stirring. Vanilla or strawberry is then added. Packaging is manual.

Fermented milk goes through the same process with an exception of the flavours.

A litre of fresh milk goes for Sh70, yoghurt (Sh120) while fermented milk is Sh100.

Otiende says processing milk has eliminated losses.

“We have hired five people, including a guard, technician and a clerk,” he says.

Some Sh400,000- Sh700,000 is paid to Kasbondo Aim Cooperative Society  members a month.

Homa Bay Veterinary Services head Charles Oduor says milk production is dependent on quality feeding, disease management, hygiene and genetics.  BY DAILY NATION   

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