Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya could soon be on its way to closing the policy gap that exists in the dairy sector with the passage of legislation that could stimulate the industry’s growth.

Livestock Minister Mohammed Kuti disclosed that the proposed Dairy Bill and Dairy Development Policy are currently pending at the Attorney General’s office awaiting debate by Parliament.

‘The Bill has been pushed through the Cabinet and unfortunately it is one of those from this ministry that have been in the AG’s office for quite some time now because of the pressure of the Bills emanating from the new Constitution,” he said.

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Machakos — For a couple that has weathered the dual tests of early retirement and repeated crop failures, it might have seemed an impossible dream to former primary-school teacher Philip Ngolania and his farmer wife that their three quarters of an acre farm could one day yield enough staple food to last an entire season.

But a visit to the local office of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) early this year ushered in a fresh beginning for the 62-year-old father of four grown sons, whose land barely produced enough food for the family’s daily meals in this drought-parched area east of the capital, Nairobi. Since that visit, he says, the family’s prospects have improved dramatically.

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Agriculture takes the biggest chunk of money disbursed to beneficiaries under the Women Enterprise Fund programme.

A report by the Gender Ministry on the fund has revealed that women commit 80 per cent of the money advanced to them to livestock keeping, farming and bee keeping, among others.

By December 31, 2011, Sh343.6 million had been disbursed with financial intermediaries loaning out 202.2 million and another Sh141.4 million distributed through the constituency women enterprise scheme to “women groups or chamas.”

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Tea farmers are set to benefit from improved prices, due to a shortage occasioned by the frost situation in many parts of the country.

Kenya Tea Development Authority Zone IV manager Chege Karuba said many parts of the country had been hit by the phenomenon and would experience low produce.

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About 300,000 farmers in remote regions stand to benefit from more than 150 livestock service centres being constructed by a franchise.

Sidai Africa Limited, a newly established social enterprise owned by Farm Africa, a UK-based charity organisation, is seeking to fill the gap left when the Government withdrew extension services due to tight budget.

Managing director Anthony Wainaina said Sidai has built 16 franchises in North Rift, North Eastern, Kajiado, Narok and Garissa. “We should have opened more than 150 franchises in the country in the next three years,” he said. The project is estimated at Sh500 million.

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