Kenya Overtakes Egypt as Africa’s Largest Milk Producer

Kenya Overtakes Egypt as Africa’s Largest Milk Producer

Kenya has overtaken Egypt to become Africa’s largest milk producer following a steady increase in dairy output, according to the country’s Principal Secretary for Livestock Production, Jonathan Mueke.

Speaking on the country’s dairy sector performance, Mueke said milk production rose from 4.6 billion litres to 5.4 billion litres, marking the third consecutive year of growth.

“We always oscillate between Egypt and Kenya, and right now, we are ahead,” he said.

According to Kenyan authorities, the increase has been driven by several government-backed initiatives aimed at improving livestock productivity. A nationwide vaccination programme has significantly reduced outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, increasing average milk production by about three litres per cow each day.

The government has also expanded access to sexed semen technology, enabling farmers to produce female calves with up to 95 per cent accuracy. Following a presidential directive, the cost of the technology was reduced from 8,000 Kenyan shillings to 1,000 shillings per dose, making it more affordable for smallholder farmers.

In addition, subsidised milk cooling facilities have helped reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ earnings.

The dairy sector remains a major pillar of Kenya’s economy, contributing about 17 per cent of the country’s agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and nearly four per cent of its overall GDP. The industry is supported by approximately 1.8 million smallholder dairy farmers across the country.

President William Ruto has set a target of increasing Kenya’s annual milk production to 10 billion litres within the next five years as part of efforts to strengthen food security, boost rural incomes and expand the country’s agricultural economy.

Kenya Overtakes Egypt as Africa’s Largest Milk Producer