By Sharon Nabiye
Kitinda Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS) is now open after being shut down for a while. David Kalasinga, the current Chairman, commented, “We’ve been operational for a month since the cooperative was reopened. Our services are really benefiting dairy farmers in Bungoma. The place was once bushy, but now it’s a good space to run our operations.”
He added, “Our dairy farmers have agreed that we will pay them every week.”
The cooperative has started with a capacity of about 500 liters and aims to significantly increase milk purchases. Kitinda Dairy’s objectives and services include purchasing milk from farmers, processing it for sale, donating dairy cattle to farmers, providing tender services, and offering artificial insemination (AI) training.
“We buy milk in liters and pay Ksh 50 per liter. We offer cash payments,” said Martin Sangura, the staff chair.
All groups, both adults and youths, are encouraged to explore dairy farming, as it provides income, employment, and food for both the county and the country. Kitinda Dairy FCS urges farmers to focus not only on increasing the number of cattle but also on maintaining high-quality, productive animals. Proper animal feeding should be prioritized, with a recommendation to provide dairy meal concentrate for optimal cattle nutrition.
Chairman Kalasinga also expressed his gratitude to Bungoma County Governor, Hon. Kenneth Makelo Lusaka, for his continued support of Kitinda Dairy FCS. Looking ahead to next year, the Governor is planning to purchase machines for milk processing, which will be a significant development for the community.
