NAIROBI, Kenya – Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has warned that Kenya’s ambition to expand milk exports will collapse unless farmers and feed manufacturers tackle aflatoxin contamination and adopt a quality-based payment system.
Speaking Thursday at the opening of the 17th African Dairy Conference and Exhibition (AFDA17) in Nairobi, Kagwe said contaminated animal feeds are undermining Kenya’s competitiveness in regional and international markets.
“No export without quality. Aflatoxin in maize feeds passes straight into milk and locks us out of lucrative markets,” he said.
Kagwe announced that the government will soon launch a Good Quality Milk Certification Programme to raise safety standards across the value chain.
Under the scheme, farmers who deliver clean and safe milk will earn higher payments, while those supplying substandard milk will no longer be paid at the same rate.
“It cannot be the same amount for bad and good. Those who produce better will earn better,” he added.
The CS also challenged feed manufacturers and maize producers to embrace Aflasafe, a biological solution that reduces aflatoxin levels in maize.
“Use aflatoxin-free maize. Adopt Aflasafe. This is the only way to guarantee the best milk for Kenyans and protect our place in global markets,” Kagwe said.
Kenya produced an estimated 5.3 billion litres of milk in 2024, but the government aims to double output to 10 billion litres under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Kagwe stressed that achieving this target depends on not only addressing aflatoxin contamination but also cutting feed costs, improving cattle breeds, and rewarding quality production.
Looking beyond Kenya, the CS urged African countries to harmonise dairy standards under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying the continent must reduce its reliance on imported milk powders.
“Africa can feed itself, and it can also export. But that will only happen if we focus on quality, competitiveness, and collaboration,” he said.
The AFDA17 conference at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre has drawn farmers, processors, policymakers, and international stakeholders to explore opportunities and challenges facing Africa’s dairy sector.
