Securing Kenya’s Dairy Future: The Case for a Cooperative Fodder Fund

Abstract

The dairy sector in Kenya plays a crucial role in food security, employment, and economic stability, contributing 4% to the national GDP. However, climate-induced droughts have resulted in severe fodder shortages, which causes significant financial losses for dairy cooperatives and individual farmers. The fodder deficit leads to reduced milk yields, financial distress, and processor shutdowns, with annual losses exceeding KES 3 billion across key dairy cooperatives. This brief report provides an in-depth review of the impact of drought-related losses across cooperatives, highlights emerging patterns, and proposes a structured intervention through a cooperative fodder fund to enhance resilience.