Dairy farmers supplying milk to Brookside processing company
have refused to supply their milk after the company revised the price of milk
per litre.
The farmers said it is rather better to pour their milk than
sell it at a reduced price, almost half of the expected price.
The company is said to have reduced the price of milk from
Sh30 per litre to Sh17, a move that has angered farmers.
This is not the first time Brookside is reducing price for
raw milk, a strategy that has been angering farmers and suppliers.
In August, the company reduced the price of milk per litre
from 30 shillings to 25 shillings.
“Dear supplier, kindly note raw milk prices have further
been reviewed downwards by Sh2 per kilo effective 16/08/2019,” said the company.
Farmers supplying between one litre and 100 litres were
forced to be paid Sh25 per litre and Sh26 to those delivering between 1001
litres and 2,500 litres with Sh29 paid to suppliers offering 5,001 litres and
above.
The move, as condemned by the Kenya Dairy Farmers Federation
(KDFF), is regarded unfair to farmers who pay dearly for the better inputs.
The farmers also called upon the government to establish
measures to regulate milk prices in the country, something it is yet to do
since 2018.
KDFF said it is engaging stakeholders to save farmers from peanuts
pay by processors, as it “advocate for a structured way of milk prices in the
country.”
Brookside has been exploiting farmers by reducing prices of
milk, yet its retail price in major stalls proves expensive than other
companies.
The Kenyatta family-led company is the most expensive brand
in the market, with most retailers selling half-a-litre at Sh55 to 60.
Other brands such as KCC, Tuzo and Fresha are selling at
Sh50 for half-a-litre, with Daima and Lato being the cheapest brands, selling
from Sh45-Sh47 for a half-litre packet.
Discussion about this post