Dairy marketing hubs in East Africa

Dairy sector is an important sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya's dairy industry provides a model which is currently being followed, in some part, by neighbouring African countries. The growth in Kenya's dairy sector is constrained by a wide range of problems including access to inputs and milk markets. Collective milk marketing, through co-operatives and farmer groups offer economies of scale, payment arrangements that enable farmer to meet their livelihood needs, and access to input credit as well as other dairy-related services. However, knowledge on farmer preferences for the services offered by these collective marketing forms, and other barrier and opportunities for participation in such marketing forms is pertinent in identifying important incentives. Drawing from a sample of 300 dairy farmers in Nandi County, this book provides in-depth analyses and discussion of the resultant policy implications and strategic interventions necessary for improving service delivery and market access for dairy farmers. Econometric tools are used to derive answers to specified research questions. Dairy hubs, collective farmer-owned milk chilling and/ or bulking plants from which farmers also access other dariy-related services, form the basis of the study. The results of the study suggests that prioritising service provision, increasing farmers' proximity to the hub services, and education are among the evident strategic interventions necessary for improving service delivery and market access for dairy farmers.